LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.! 






# 
I UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ! 



NOTES ON BAPTISM 



IN WHICH ITS 



0pmtualttjj a0 a iHouenant, 



MADE OR KEPT, 



IS CLEARLY SET FORTH, AND UNIFORMLY ADHERED TO. 



BY 



Eev. E. GKEGG. 






SPRINGFIELD, ILL.: 

H. W. ROKKBB, PRINTEE AND BINDER, 

1880 



9^ 



.,U.i 



. -^ t ^ 




Copyright, 1880, by Rev. R. Gregg. 



All rights reserved. 



ERRATA. 



On page 80, seventeenth line, read ''regenerated" for 
*'regenated." 
On page 147, ninth line, read ''illustrate" for ''illstrate." 
On page 141, sixth line, read "Irenaeus" for "Irenarus." 

On page 25, thirteenth line, quotation ends with the word 
' 'stream. " 






^, 



4^\\ 



PREFACE. 



Years ago, with no thought of writing a book, 
I determined to possess every idea the Bible could 
furnish me on the subject of baptism. In pre- 
paring for study, I cut from an old copy of the 
New Testament every leading verse or paragraph 
on this theme, and so arranged them that I could 
readily glance my eye from verse to verse, as I 
studied and compared them. Long and earnest 
was the search, seldom thinking, and little 
caring, what the uninsTpired had written on the 
subject. Erelong I was charmed with a deep, 
underlying spirituality^ which pervaded every 
verse and constituted a harmonious system of 
thought. 

The style and title of the book was suggested 
by the mode of study. It is a commentary on 
the verses of the New Testament relating to this 
theme. The title also harmonizes with the pur- 
pose to make the treatise suggestive, rather than 



PREFACE. 



exhaustive; an appendix, or supplement, to 
other writings, rather than a full presentation 
of the subject. 

I ask the critics to deal kindly with its verbal 
defects, and give their best skill and strength to 
a searching examination of the leading^ holder 
thoughts. 

I hope the work is new enough to merit atten- 
tion, and not revolutionary enough to merit 
anathemas. May its influence tend to narrow 
the gulf that has separated the disputants upon 
this theme. R. G. 

Mechanicsburg, III., July 31, 1880. 



INTRODUCTION. 



What is the spirituality of water baptism ? 
This is our central inquiry. We would know 
the exact spiritual transaction underlying the 
visible, in such baptism as pleases the Author 
of our Bible. It is strange that this question 
should have received comparatively so little at- 
tention. As to the mode and subjects of baptism, 
the world is already overcrowded with books. 
The question of the design of baptism is not the 
same as ours, though closely allied to it. The 
design relates to the object of the ordinance or 
the condition into which it will take us, the 
goal towards which we travel. We rather seek 
to know what we are doing while receiving or 
administering the rite; what it is that God only 
beholds, and beholding, sanctions. 

Every act of a being with mind and body is 
characterized by a visible motion and a spiritual 
meaning. If it be a religious act, the spiritual- 
ity is all-important. Study well the Savior's 
estimation of the poor widow's gift. 

The words which express religious actions, 
reveal to us their full divine meaning, v^hen we 



6 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

associate with their use this deep spirituality. 
It is childish to think of prayer as the pronounc- 
ing of certain words, or the posture of the body. 
Prayer refers to the reverence^ the desire^ the faith 
of the soul. The communion service is destitute 
of real meaning, if it suggests only the partaking 
of the emblems. The bread and wine are but 
the heaven-ordained accompaniments to a sub- 
lime spirituality, which should go on between 
the soul and its God. With them we should 
commune. So of baptism. With water we bap- 
tise. With the ceremony that to human eye is 
visible, there must be associated a spirituality, 
in order to constitute it a true baptism. In a 
certain pond on the same day there were two 
transactions, which were alike externally, but 
spiritually they were very different. In both 
cases there was the immersion of a human form, 
as the Bible formula for baptism was repeated. 
In one case, the parties were an ordained minis- 
ter and a true believer. In the other it was two 
rude young men, making fun. I venture to de- 
fine these ceremonies as baptism by iminersion, and, 
perhaps, blasphemy by immersion. The words 
"baptism" and ^'blasphemy" refer entirely to the 
spirituality of the transactions. The last word 
may be too severe. It may have been mere 
rudeness by immersion. But there was a spirit- 
uality about it, in which there was not a single 
element of true baptism. We trust the other 



INTRODUCTION. 



transaction was totally different in its spiritual- 
ity — so different that the word ^'baptism" accu- 
rately described it. 

We long to know exactly what this spiritual 
something is. Never shall we understand the 
full beauty and glory of the ordinance until we do. 

We have sincerely and earnestly tried to find 
out the ^'mind of God" upon this subject, as far 
as possible ignoring all other questions, and for- 
getting all human opinions. 

The Bible must be harmonious in all its utter- 
ances, and hence we must reject every theory 
that clashes against a single fact or verse. 

Three distinct characters were either advised 
to be baptized, or did receive baptism. Awakened 
sinners, crying "Men and brethren, what shall 
we do ?'' were told to "Repent and be baptized, 
every one of you, for the remission of sins." 
(Acts, 2 : 38). 

Again, baptism was administered to the Gen- 
tiles at the house of Cornelius, after their con- 
version. (See Acts 10: 44-48). We quote in 
part : "Can any man forbid water, that these 
should not be baptized which have received the 
Holy Ghost as well as we ? And he commanded 
them to be baptized," etc. 

Again, the eternally sinless received water 
baptism. We should regret to hold a view that 
would compel us to claim for Christ a baptism 
essentially unlike all others. 



8 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

One writer has said : ^"The import of chris- 
tian baptism is totally inapplicable to the per- 
son and character of Christ; for baptism is both 
a sign and a seal. As a sign, it witnesseth to 
our inward washing and regeneration by the 
Holy Ghost," 

If my theory clashed against such a great fact, 
I should certainly try to modify my theory, not 
that face. 

Again, a true view of the spirituality of the 
ceremony will do away with the necessity of 
assuming that our Savior so often used the word 
with only a figurative, allegorical or metaphor- 
ical meaning. 

According to most writers, Christ never used 

the word, so far as the record shows (except in 
allusion to John), in its literal real meaning, 
from the hour of his own baptism until his final 
commission to his deciples to ''go preach'' * * 
^'baptizing." This modifying the meaning of 
the words of the great Teacher is a most start- 
ling fact. We prefer to let his ''words that are 
spirit'' be our first, best guide to the deeper spir- 
itual ideas he was always adding to the former 
meaning of language. 

With the New Testament as our only guide, 
and the words of Jesus our best key, we confi- 
dently afiirm that the spiritual work of the ordi- 
nance is making a covenant 

"Hibbard, part 2, page 34. 



INTRODUCTION. 9 



The party seeking baptism pledges duty to 
God ; thereon the party administering it prom- 
ises blessings from God, and this is covenanting. 
This covenant must be made with water. God 
has so ordained it. And water is a beautiful 
emblem of all the blessings of the covenant. 
This is not a new thought. Nearly every writer 
incidentally recognizes it. It is in harmony 
with the better views and practice of the church 
in all the past ages. Yet, we are writing under 
the deep conviction that far greater stress should 
be placed upon this thought ; that this idea, 
forced upon us by some of the verses and facts 
of the Bible, will give new beauty and harmony 
to all others, throwing a perfect flood of light on 
some of the verses hitherto dimly understood.^ 

The more we meditate upon this idea, the 
more will the word ''baptize," or any possible 
translation thereof, suggest to us, not so much 
the bringing into contact the water and the per- 
son, as the spiritual bonds then and thus ratified 
between a soul and its God. 

This view harmonizes perfectly with the three 
cases already cited. Sinners may well '' repent 
and be baptized (covenanted) for the remission 
of sins," and the Gentiles, recently purified by 
faith, may also be baptized, (covenanted,) and a 
covenant '' to fulfill all righteousness " '' it be- 

*See Notes on l Pet. 3, 18-21, and 1 Cor. 15-29. 



10 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

Cometh " the eternally pure to take upon him- 
self.^ 

This spiritual idea gives a clue to the future 
condition of all the baptized. They are the 
covenanted — the pledged — the bound. If true to 
their baptism and their conscience, they will 
ever feel the force of that covenant, and strive 
to keep it till death. Thus the covenant-making 
of the ceremony will lead to the covenant-keep- 
ing for the rest of life. This, too, will be our 
part of a perpetual, ever-present baptism ; and 
then God will give to us the saving baptism of 
the Holy Ghost, thus keeping his part of an 
ever-present baptism. 

It is a noticeable fact that, wherever blessings 
are predicated upon baptism, the present tense is 
used: ^^He that believeth and is baptized ;" "by 
one spirit we are baptized into one body;" *^bap- 
tism doth also now save us." The visible, or 
material, part can be present but a moment, but 
the spiritual, real baptism may be as abiding as 
earth-life. 

In every allusion of Christ to his own baptism, 
he uses the present tense : "The baptism I am 
baptized with ;" "I have a baptism to be baptized 
with." In this last quotation it is both a present 
and a future fact. How plain is this, if we asso- 
ciate with his baptism the spiritual idea of a bond 

*0n these texts see Notes : Mat. 3 : 13-17 ; Acts 2 : 38 ; 10, 44-48. 



INTRODUCTION. 11 



or covenant resting on him, moment by moment, 
till in death he fulfills all its requirements. 

The spirituality of water baptism must be 
recognized in order to give clear meaning to 
the Bible expression, '^baptism of repentance*'^'' 
Sprinkling of repentance! Immersion of repent- 
ance ! If it was the immersion of repentants, it 
might be possible ; but to immerse an invisible, 
spiritual state of the soul, called repentance, in 
river, pond or tank, would be a very strange 
undertaking. But let the word ''baptism" sug- 
gest the spiritual idea of covenant or bond, and 
all is plain. The sentence then will mean, the 
covenant of repentance. 

The baptism of the Holy Ghost is strictly and 
only a spiritual work. It is the spirit of God 
working upon the spirit of men. Thus several 
texts of scripture force us to accept for the word 
baptize a meaning truly and entirely spiritual. 
Why have not careful thinkers observed a spir- 
ituality in baptism with water, rendering it 
analogous to baptism with the Holy Ghost ? In 
the one, God, by his servant, makes a covenant, 
promising blessings ; in the other, God keeps 
his covenant, imparting blessings.* 

Dr. Whedon, in his comments on the expres- 
sion, '' baptism of repentence," (Acts 19 : 4,) 
plainly asserts the covenantal character of the 
ordinance, "John's baptism, when received, ob- 

'•'See, more fully, Note on Acts 1:5. 



12 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

ligated the people to repent anew of sin, in 
expectation of a soon-coming Messiah. By ac- 
cepting the rite, they acknowledged the obliga- 
tion and expectation." I would modify this 
merely by the statement, that this ^^ expectation'^ 
was based upon the prophetic pledge that the 
Messiah was coming to bless, which pledge was 
the other part of the baptismal covenant which 
John preached and administered. 

In the same place the Doctor marks out a 
clear difference between John's baptism and that 
instituted by the Savior. ^^ Yet when Messiah 
came, he required a new baptism, obligating a 
consecration to him, whereby the spirit of prom- 
ise would be poured out upon them, and they be 
emancipated into the full liberty of the sons of 
God." Here, the covenantal idea is plainer, — 
" obligating " ^' whereby the spirit of promise 
would be poured out," emancipating. 

We are very indifferent about the meaning of 
the word as used in ancient or secular writings. 
Many a Bible word, whose meaning was once 
materialistic, has now a strictly spiritual im- 
port. Such is the word spirit itself. But I am 
happily surprised to obtain good evidence of the 
spirituality of this word from a very unexpected 
source. 

Dr. Conant, in his ingenious book, "Baptizein," 
has made one hundred and sixty-eight quota- 
tions from ancient secular Greek writings. The 



INTRODUCTION. 13 



book is designed to prove that '^the word * * 
had a perfectly defined and unvarying import,"* 
and appears to have been issued to justify the 
rendering of the word in their new translation. 
Yet in scores of places, as quoted in the volume, 
the word is used to express not any visible or ma- 
terial transaction whatever, but strictly and only the 
conditions or doings of the mind. All such 
places are classified under the head of "the trop- 
ical or figurative sense" of the word ; and hence 
the hasty reader would not so readily see how 
they all disprove that assumed "true and only 
import." 

I quote in brief some examples of the spirit- 
ual meaning of the word : 

"Misfortunes assailing, baptize us." (Ex. 112). 

"Baptized by anger." (Ex. 113). 

"Baptizing the soul." (Ex. 114). 

"Baptized by grief and moved by tears," (Ex. 
117). 

"Baptized in sleep." (Ex. 120, and others). 

"Baptized the city in sleep." (Ex. 121). 

"If David, therefore, being a king, and bap- 
tized with ten thousand cares," etc. (Ex. 123). 

"Baptized in ignorance." (Ex. 127, and others). 

"Baptized with debts amounting to fifty mil- 
lions." (Ex. 133). 

"Baptize the people with taxes." (Ex. 132). 

*Baptizein, page 158. 



14 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

In these last quotations the bond idea pre- 
vails, as it does in some other places in the same 
volume. 

Of course Dr. Conant regarded himself compe- 
tent to know that every quotation from example 
87 to 151 (sixty-five in all), had only a ^^tropical 
or figurative sense.'' Yet he finally gives to the 
word a truly spiritual meaning. He says (page 
159 :) '^By analogy, it expressed the coming into 
a new state of life or experience^ in which one was, 
as it were, inclosed and swallowed up, so that, 
temporarily or permanently, he belonged wholly 
to it." The italics are the doctor's. Of course, 
he tries to tack on to the definition some idea 
akin to his immersion ; but still it stands forth 
a grand concession to our claim of the strictly 
spiritual meaning sometimes attached to this 
word. 

A friendly critic tells me that I shall be ac- 
cused of trying to fix a new meaning to the word 
^^baptize." I do not so regard my position. But 
I am resolved, God helping me, to bring out more 
boldly a sublime spirituality which has been too 
lightly regarded, although generally, perhaps 
universally, recognized. Let the foolish battle 
still rage — if rage it must — about the material 
movements suggested by the ancient or pro- 
fane uses of the word. We are determined 
not to enter this arena of strife, or scarcely stop 
to look thereon. Let those who think that ques- 



INTRODUCTION. 15 



tion all-important, settle it if they can. But 
whether they shall succeed or not, ours is the 
more pleasant and important task of bringing 
out clearly and fully the spiritual meaning of 
the word as it stands in our guide-book to spirit- 
ual excellence, and as used by the sanctified lips 
of our Spiritual Teacher. 

In this work we care for no other text-book or 
dictionary than the Bible. We gather all our 
ideas from its statements. We reject all those 
assumed ideas that clash against its utterances, 
confidently expecting to show that a true recog- 
nition of the spirituality of the word will give 
perfect harmony and new beauty to every sen- 
tence upon this subject, shedding light on several 
verses hitherto but partially understood. 

We are perfectly willing that the eye and 
heart of the reader shall be so fixed upon this 
Bible-proven spirituality as to leave far back in 
the realm of non-essentials the debate about the 
mode of using water. A novel-writing contro- 
versialist puts into the lips of its heroine, "Theo- 
dosia^^^ this sentiment : ^'Mother, if what 1 sam 
to-day was baptism," alluding to the immersion 
of a schoolmate, ''then I was never baptized." 
Very true; but she saw not that which alone made 
that transaction truly a baptism. If there was 
baptism there, (and we trust there was), it was as 
far above what the human eye beheld, as Heaven 
is above earth. It was as much grander as is 



16 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

the soul's eternal union to God by covenant 
grander than the temporary contact of the water 
with the human body. 

As already intimated, we design to say but lit- 
tle about the mode of using the water with 
which we baptize. We protest against assuming 
that there is very great importance attached to 
that which God has not made very plain. We 
protest against being very certain where the 
Bible is very uncertain. As sure as God would 
guide me to Heaven, everything important 
should be as plain as possible. Yet I can in one 
hour re- write and modify verses in our Bible, so 
as to make the mode of baptism indisputably 
plain. Certainly, God could have done this 
much for us. Why did he not ? I defy those to 
answer this question, who assume that the mode 
is important. 

Indefiniteness of mode may exist, even though 
the event is of great importance. I have searched 
the Bible to ascertain the exact mode of ratify- 
ing the marriage covenant. I can not find it ; 
but I do find complete information concerning 
the obligations^ the relations, the duties and privi- 
leges of married life. So of baptism. The Bible 
could hardly be more plain, and yet so brief, con- 
cerning the vows, the duties and blessings of the 
truly baptized. 

Baptism has often been spoken of as a seal. 
The propriety of this is seen from the fact that 



INTRODUCTION. 17 



it sustains a similar relation to our promise to 
do duty, and God's promise to bestow blessings, 
that a seal does when affixed to ordinary con- 
tracts. It is the finale of the contract, officially 
recognizing both parties irrevocably bound to 
each other. The name, '^Father, Son, and Holy 
Ghost," refers to the divine party to whom the 
candidate pledges, and from whom all promised 
blessings shall come. I would no sooner baptize, 
unless I believed I had authority from the Tri- 
une God to promise blessings from him to the 
faithful, than I would put the seal of my native 
State on papers not authorized by my State. 

Baptism has been called a sign. It seems more 
exact to state that the ivater used is a sign. Water 
has always been an emblem or sign of blessings. 
It is a sign of purity, of satisfaction, of salva- 
tion, of Heaven. Long ago, the sun-illumined 
water, spanning the heavens with a bow of 
beauty, became a token — a sign of a covenant be- 
tween God and man. 

But while the water with which we baptize 
is a sign, as really as is the bread and wine with 
which we commune, the entire transaction 
reaches far beyond the mere idea of a sign. It 
is the binding of a soul to God by a most solemn 
contract or promise; whereupon God pledges to 
them, if faithful to their vow, all ihe blessings 
of the gospel here and hereafter. 
2— 



MATTHEAV. 



3Iat. 3. — 1 In those days came John the Baptist, preach- 
ing in the wilderness of Judea. 

2 And saying. Repent ye: for the kingdom of Heaven is 
at hand. 

"John the Baptist.'' "That is, the baptiser. 
Many learned men have maintained that the 
baptism of proselj^tes existed among the Jews 
before the coming of John. After a critical re- 
view of its existence, (Bib. Rep., Apr., 1853), 
Prof. Stuart decides that the probability, on the 
ground of evidence, is strong against it! John, 
then, was probably called the Baptist^ as being 
the first baptizer." — Dr. Whedon. 

'^Saying Repent ye." Thus he exhorted them 
to the duty to which, in their baptism, they 
would be required to pledge themselves. 

''For the kingdom of Heaven is at hand." 
This is the grand idea of the divine side of the 
baptismal covenant of John. The Anointed, 
shall come to bless you. 



MATTHEW. 19 



Mat. 3. — 5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all 
Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, 

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their 
sins. 

7 ^ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sad- 
ducees came to his baptism, he said unto them, O genera- 
tion of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath 
to come? 

8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance : 

9 And think not to say within yourselves. We have 
Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able 
of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the 
trees : therefore every tree which bringeth forth not good 
fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: 
but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes 
I am not worthy to bear : he shall baptize you with the 
Holy Grhost, and with fire : 

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly 
purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the gamer ; but 
he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. 

"Jerusalem and all Judea,'' etc. This clearly 
proves that vast numbers heard and were bap- 
tized. Yet we need not claim that, literally, he 
baptized every one of the inhabitants of that 
region. 

''Baptized, ^ ^ confessing." Confession 
harmonizes well with true sorrow for sin, and a 
pledge to sin no more ; and the confessing and 
pledging are excellent preparations for blessings 
from the coming Messiah. 



20 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

*'Ia Jordan.'* This expression may refer to 
the low lands of the valley, or to the water of 
the river ; and there, as they entered into solemn 
covenant, he may have sprinkled, or poured, or 
immersed them. 

^'0 generation of vipers.'' The severity of 
language indicates the great sin of those who 
fail to keep their vows. 

The 9th and 10th verses continue the exhorta- 
tion, winding up with the curse that shall fall 
upon the unfaithful — '^cast into the fire." 

''I baptize ^ ^^ unto repentance." How 
perfectly those expressions harmonize with the 
spiritual idea of baptism. I would bind you in 
this ceremony by a vow that you will keep; 
then the Mightier than I shall fulfill the divine 
part of the covenant. He shall bless. '^He shall 
baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.'^ 

^^Unquenchable fire." Nearly every writer 
claims that this verse refers to the doom of the 
ungodly, as well as to the blessings of the 
righteous. 

Our theology need not be suspected if we sug- 
gest another interpretation. The fearful doom 
of the ungodly has abundant proof elsewhere. 

"The wheat" are the righteous ; ''the garner" 
is Heaven ; "the chaflf" is something to be com- 
pletely destroyed. It agrees with the figure to 
refer it to the sins and imperfections of those 



MATTHEW. 21 



who are to be prepared by the Holy Ghost and 
fire for the garner of Heaven. Then, the fire of 
the 11th and the fire of the 12th verses are the 
same fire. It is Holy Ghost fire^ — burning the 
dross, and leaving the pure gold — burning up 
the chaff, and leaving the wheat thoroughly 
clean. 



Mat. 3. — 13 TT Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jor- 
dan unto John, to be baptized of him. 

14 But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be bap- 
tized of thee, and comest thou to me? 

15 And Jesus answering said unto him. Suffer it to he so 
now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. 
Then he suffered him. 

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straight- 
way out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened 
unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a 
dove, and lighting upon him : 

17 And lo, a voice from Heaven, saying, This is my 
beloved Son, in whom I am well plesed. 

"Then cometh Jesus ^ ^ to be baptized. 
There is here expressed a special desire. He 
had an object worthy his nature and mission. 

''But John forbade him." There are two rea- 
sons readily seen for John's unwillingness to 
baptize Jesus: First — He was the one to keep 
the divine part of the baptismal covenant. He 
was the one promised to each and every one to 
whom the rite had been administered. He in 
person was the Blessing. He in work was the 



22 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

Blesser — the Baptizer. Hence, John's statement, 
"I have need be baptized of thee." 

Hence another reason for John's refusal — a 
reason so obvious as to hardly need stating : 
John, knowing his pure and elevated character, 
could not consistently administer the baptism or 
covenant of repentance. But Jesus had no no- 
tion of taking such a covenant. So, he proposes 
one entirely consistent with his pure nature and 
lofty mission. 

"It becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." 
To such a covenant John was willing to baptize 
him. The above line oi this loth verse is our 
guide to a correct view of the baptism of Jesus * 

In one word, our view is, that in his baptism 
he did not ''fulfill all righteousness," but did 
surely covenant so to do. The little word ''i^" sug- 
gests the thing for which he petitioned John — 
that thing was the privilege of baptism. If 
the idea of baptism is covenanting, then the 
privilege of covenanting was just what he 
wanted. Thus much to indicate the harmony 
of our positions, rather than the proof of their 
correctness. But we argue this view frorh the 
peculiar structure of the verse, and, hereafter, 
will continue the argument by every word of 
Jesus concerning his own personal baptism. 

*For a more complete argument, see "Baptism of Jesus." At 
first writing, I put most of that argument into tlie Textual Notes, 
but afterwards gave it a separate place. 



MATTHEW. 23 



If the word ^Hf^ does not stand for the idea of 
covenanting, then it is the equivalent of the 
expression, '' to fulfill all righteousness." If 
the latter, the word ^'becometh'' is far too tame 
a word. To conform to each and every require- 
ment of Heaven, is as binding as his own di- 
vinity. To publicly pledge this work is of less 
importance — ^just important enough to be ex- 
actly expressed by the word ^'becometh." Jesus 
could have correctly said, ^'I must — absolutely 
and irrevocably must — fulfill all righteousness, 
or I shall be false to my Messiaship, and the 
divine government will be an eternal failure; 
and now, as I fairly enter on the best and 
severest work of the eternal ages, it becometh 
us to covenant to fulfill it all." 

When we compare this covenant of Jesus with 
the covenant John had been administering to 
sinners, the word ^'becometh" takes on an added 
fitness and beauty. Very unbecoming, very in- 
consistent, would have been the former; grandly, 
beautifully appropriate the latter. 

Again, that comprehensive word '^aW^ — "to 
fulfill all righteousness" — agrees best with our 
explanation. The word ''all" appropriately re- 
fers to everything there is contained in the 
phrase, ''to fulfill all righteousness." Now, bap- 
tism, at best, is but one item ; and the sentence 
could have been so worded as to refer to one item 



24 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

instead of the whole. Thus I must fulfill each 
requirement of Heaven. 

It is absolutely impossible for any one act, 
especially an initiatory act, such as Christ was 
about to perform, to fulfill all righteousness ; yet 
just such an act can covenant to fulfill all. He 
did not, in his baptism, fulfill all righteousness; 
or he might have gone directly up from Jordan 
to a welcoming Heaven, avoiding the terrible 
scenes that intervened. 

Here, we have hit our strongest argument. 
Our interpretation leaves the expression, "to 
fulfill all righteousness," with its most natural 
and common meaning, alluding directly and 
only to his future life, and especially his sin- 
atoning death. The force of this argument will 
not be felt till one studies carefully that grandest 
argument (Book of Romans) concerning human 
rescue through Christ, made consistent with the 
"righteousness" of God. 

Finally, all other theories require their advo- 
cates to show some existing law or requirement 
for the baptism of Jesus. This has never been 
done satisfactorily. Prom all other standpoints, 
we cannot see its consistency, much less its ne- 
cessity. 

"Us." This word has been uniformly referred 
to John and the Savior. Does it not also refer 
to the Trinity ? It is certain that when Christ 
had made and John had sealed the covenant, 



MATTHEW. 25 



then the ^'Spirit descending," and the '^ voice 
saying," gave a visible, audible, sublime amen 
to this central bargain of the moral universe. 

^'Out of the water. ^^ ^'From the water," has 
been claimed as the better rendering. The 
translators of the Bible Union, although immer- 
sionists, concede the claim, and so render it. I 
care nothing for this point, even if I was anxious 
about the mode; for, as Dr. Whedon says, ''thous- 
ands, in ancient and modern times, have been 
baptized by aflfusion, as they are represented, 
in ancient pictures, standing or kneeling in 
the bed of a stream. The most ancient pict- 
ure of the baptism of our Lord, which seems 
authentic, represents him standing in the water, 
and John, standing on a rock out of the water, 
pouring water upon his head. So, he was repre- 
sented by the Christians, in the Catacombs, in 
the earlier ages of the Church. 

''The Spirit of God descending." It thus in- 
dorsed the personage and his conduct ; and thus 
visibly did what he really will do to all who, in 
spirit, follow the Consecrated One. 

"And lo, a voice." God the Father adding 
his approval, and ratifying the whole that had 
been done, and all that should yet be done on 
earth and among men by this strange visitor. 

The writer's views, foreshadowed in the above, 
and more completely proven hereafter, are, that 
the personal baptism of Jesus was, in its essen- 



26 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 



tial, generic character, exactly like all true bap- 
tisms by water. It was his covenant or bond 
to do his life's work. Its only peculiarity was, 
that his was a peculiar work. He must give his 
life a ransom for us. Nothing else will "fulfill" 
— will round up to its beautifully perfect propor- 
tions — the manifested righteousness of God. It 
must needs be that Christ should suffer, that God 
might be just, and yet in love justify the sinner 
that comes by faith. 

We shall yet see the perfect harmony of this 
view with every word of Jesus concerning him- 
self, as baptized. 

Mat. 16. — 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of 
the kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind 
on earth shall be bound in Heaven ; and whatsoever thou 
shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. 

We do not claim that this verse, so difficult to 
be understood, refers with certainty to the bap- 
tizmal bond; yet there is plausibility to this 
view, especially when we compare it with the 
high authority actually possessed by the Savior, 
and seemingly conferred in the commission to 
go preach, ^'baptizing.'' (See Mat. 28: 18; and 
Mark 16: 15). We insert it, hoping the true 
idea of baptism may throw some light upon it. 

"Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth.'' That 
man is hound who has so taken a true covenant 
as to feel perpetually its force, and, hour by hour, 



MATTHEW. 



keeps all its obligations. "Peter, you know me ; 
now, hind men to me by a covenant. Teach 
them to hold that covenant and observe all that 
it contains, and I assure you they 'shall be bound 
in Heaven.' 'Loose' that bond. Tell them all 
is well, becaase they have been well baptized. 
Sell them an indulgence to sin. Assure them 
that God holds their souls tied to the throne of 
bliss, even though they utterly fail to remain 
sweetly bound to duty here; and, Peter, you or 
your successors have told them an eternally ruin- 
ous falsehood.'*' Ministers and members had 
better beware, for whatsoever thou shalt loose 
from doing duty on earth, shalt be loosed from 
blessedness in Heaven. 

There may be grave objections to this exege- 
sis ; yet, it recognizes the fact that earth is pecu- 
liarly for duty^ and Heaven jor rapture. It also 
claims that the binding and loosing here both 
relate to duty ; and that the binding and loosing 
in Heaven both relate to the bliss of Heaven. It 
admits that the minister who binds, or helps to 
bind, to the practice of duty, is acting nobly ; 
and that the minister whose words, or influence, 
or authority, is loosening from duty, is acting a 
terrible part. It also links the bliss of eternity 
to the faithful on earth, and separates the wicked 
therefrom. 

If this explanation be true, the first clause is 
expressive of authority conferred, and the last 



28 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 



clause of a warning given. It could have been 
introduced with *' though," or ''although/' in- 
stead of ''and." 

It is, then, as if our President should say to a 
chosen Minister to a foreign court : " Now, sir, 
you know us here at Washington — the principles 
and laws we require in this treaty of peace ; go 
and bind them to these laws, and stamp the con- 
tract with our seal, and keep them bound, and 
we will ratify the treaty. Whatsoever thou shalt 
bind in that European court shall be bound here 
in the United States; but if, by any after influ- 
ence, you loosen them, and they disregard their 
treaty, we are loosened from our part. You have 
periled the peace of the once treaty-bound na- 
tions." 



Mat. 20. — 20 •[ Then came to him the mother of Zebe- 
dee's children with her sons, worshipping Mm^ and desiring 
a certain thing of him. 

21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith 
unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one 
on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy king- 
dom. 

22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye 
ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, 
and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 
They say unto him, We are able. 

23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my 
cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized 



MATTHEW. 29 



with : but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not 
mine to give, but it shall he given to them for whom it is 
prepared of my Father. 

These are the first recorded words of the great 
Teacher which give us any light on th^ subject 
of his baptism or our own. We did not quote 
the last verse to help us better 'to understand 
baptism ; but we did hope our view of baptism 
would help the better to understand it. 

In the 17th chapter, Christ alludes to Elias 
and to John the Baptist, but we did not count it 
into our notes, as there is nothing therein con- 
tained which gives any idea of the nature or 
bearing of John's baptism, or any other. 

This conversation with the children of Zebe- 
dee, one more reference to John's baptism, and 
then the final command to "go preach, * * * 
baptizing," and we have done with all that Mat- 
thew has recorded of the words of the world's 
Teacher upon this subject. Hence, we claim 
for this a prominent place and a careful exam- 
ination. This is all the more important, for it 
is one of the three records made of Christ's 
references to himself as a baptized person. 

We enter our protest against classifying all 
these verses under the metaphorical or figurative 
uses of the word, as most of the writers have 
done ; or, inventing a new and strange meaning 
for some of these words, as the translators of the 
Bible Union have done. 



30 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

"Then came the mother.'' Mark speaks of the 
sons. Evidently, both uttered the petition. In 
both Matthew and Mark the record represents 
Jesus answering the sons. This indicates that 
in both cases the sons as well as the mother had 
made the request. 

'^Grant that," etc. An ambitious request — 
perhaps not wickedly so — for special honors in 
the coming kingdom of Christ. 

"Ye know not what ye ask." Referring, per- 
haps, to their igorance of the spirituality of his 
kingdom; or, more likely, to the strange fact, 
not yet realized by them, that its highest honors 
are reserved for its greatest sufferers. 

"Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall 
drink of?" No doubt this refers to his future 
agony. Can you also die like martyrs ? "And 
be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized 
with?" The Baptist translators of the Bible 
Union, with some authority from ancient manu- 
scripts, have omitted this line entire and its 
parallel in the next verse; but they retain it in 
Mark 10 : 38-39 ; and there they translate it 
thus : "Are ye able * * * to endure the 
immersion which I endure ?" 

We arraign them here, ^ir-s^, for the inconsist- 
ency of substituting the word ^^endure^'^ for 
the word which they claim must always be 
rendered "immerse." Again, for the implied 
idea that the immersion of Christ is still hurt- 



MATTHEW. 31 



ing him — "The immersion I endure." A vow to 
die might lead to agony, but that a past immer- 
sion still hurts is inconsistency number two. 

Again, their translation implies the silly 
query whether two robust Gallilean fishermen 
were able to endure an immersion in the warm 
climate of Palestine. Inconsistency number 
three I 

But more especially, I charge them with the 
far worse than inconsistency of so changing the 
form or voice of the verb "baptized" as to change 
entirely the statement of the worldly great In- 
structor. To exhibit this grave error, and avoid 
using terms too scholarly for the uneducated, we 
assert that the words stand correctly related to 
each other in our common version, showing the 
cause and effect, or the actor and acted upon, pre- 
cisely as they do in the original. This relation 
they have changed ju^t the same as if, with our 
translation, we put it thus : "Are ye able to bap- 
tize the baptism which I baptize? " Or, if they 
translated it to the words they use, they were 
compelled, in truth to the original form of the 
verb, to render it thus : "Are ye able to be en- 
dured with the immersion that I am endured 
with? " A strange question for Jesus to ask, 
however pertinent it might be for some of his 
bigoted followers! 

I see no way of escape from the charge of incon- 
sistency number one, or the charge of perverting 



32 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

the form of the verb. Inconsistencies number 
two and three vanish only so far as they set up 
the claim of a strictly spiritual meaning to this 
entire sentence. And this is our ground. This, 
seemingly, they tried to concede, and yet cling 
to the view that baptism always means immer- 
sion and must be so translated. If thev had 
substituted for the word ^'baptism" a word with 
a spiritual meaning, or, permitting our word to 
stand, had given to it a spiritual meaning, all 
these blunders would have been avoided, and 
nothing lost but the assumption that baptism 
must always mean immersion. Being forced by 
two words of the text to come two-thirds of the 
distance to the truth, why did they not finish 
the journey, and allow to every form of the word 
a strictly spiritual meaning ! For this we most 
earnestly contend. 

The expressed ideas, divided into three sen- 
tences, are as follows : ^'I have a baptism." ^'It 
now baptizes me." ^^Are you able to be baptized 
with this same baptism?" Something called 
baptism is now working upon Christ, baptizing 
him, and may yet do a similar work upon these 
two disciples. The worker must be some spirit- 
uality personified, and the work he does must be 
a spiritual work. How perfectly fitting is the 
idea expressed by our word "covenanted," or 
"covenant," the word exactly expressing the 
spirituality of baptism. "Are ye able to becov- 



MATTHEW. 33 



enanted with the covenant that lam covenanted 
with? " I see no possible form of expression 
that can equal or surpass it, unless we put in the 
word bond. This short word is sharply express- 
ive of one side of the covenant, the side now 
under consideration. "Are ye able to drink of 
the cup that I shall drink of, and to be bound 
with the bond that I am bound with? '' We 
ask not to have it so translated. Our version, 
as it is, will mean exactly this as soon as we 
learn the exact meaning of the word '^baptism," 
as it has been incorporated into our holy religion 
by its adorable Founder. In fact, the word can- 
not be improved by translation, especially by 
substituting a word expressive of visible move- 
ment or action. 

The absolute impossibility of a consistent uni- 
form rendering of the word, through the entire 
New Testament, into anj^ English word that 
would express the full, real meaning, rather than 
any bias against immersion, I am certain, influ- 
enced wisely the translators of the common ver- 
sion. I rest this conviction on no knowledge 
whatever of their prejudices or preferences ; but 
I rest it solely upon a most searching and pro- 
tracted study of the sacred text itself. 

"The cup that I shall drink of, and the bap- 
tism that I AM baptized with.'' Against the 
almost universal error of identifying this bap- 
tism and his death agony, we press the tenses of 
—3 



34 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

the verbs in this line. The cup is in the future — 
'*I SHALL drink.'' The baptism is in the present — 
"I AM baptized." They may be closely connect- 
ed. The one may be a kind of cause of the other. 
His infallible oath, "to fulfil all righteousness," 
certainly requires him to drink the bitter cup. 
Hence his baptism and his death are closely 
allied in thought and reality. Hence, too, his 
baptism is an ever-present fact, and will continue 
with him till death shall honor the vow and 
release him from it. With this view Luke, 
12: 50, accords, for there we find it both a present 
and future fact till it is "accomplished," and it 
was accomplished, for "he came not by water 
only, but by water and blood." 

And now are ye able for this? "The}'' say 
unto him, we are able." The Savior knew full 
well the fearful import of this answer. He knew 
how they would suffer. He knew that, spiritu- 
ally, they must be crucified with Christ. He 
knew that James wpuld be killed with the sword. 
He knew, far better than" we, just how John 
would die, after he had labored long and suffered 
much; and, knowing this, he said, "Ye shall 
drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with 
the baptism that I am baptized with." This 
sentence is so like the former as to need no added 
comment. 

"But to sit," etc. We prefer to omit the words 
in italics, and then the sentence, which could 



MATTHEW. 35 



begin with /or, would read thus : ''For to sit on 
my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to 
give, but [in the sense of only,] for whom it is 
prepared of my Father/^ 

This harmonizes the statement with those 
clauses which represent Christ as welcoming the 
good to a post of honor. 

The verse also suggests a good reason for suffer- 
ing. High honor to great sacrifice is Heaven's 
plan. 



Mat. 21. — 23 Tf And when he was come into the tem- 
ple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came 
unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority 
doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 

24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will 
ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will 
tell you by what authority I do these things. 

25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from Heaven, 
or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying. If 
we shall say, From Heaven, he will say unto us. Why did 
ye not then believe him? 

26 But if we shall say, Of men, we fear the people ; for 
all hold John as a prophet. 

27 And they answered Jesus, and said. We cannot tell. 
And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority 
I do these things. 

"TfAo gave thee this authority f^ A question sug- 
gested by the act of expelling from the temple 
those who were profaning it. (See 12th verse.) 



36 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

The Savior evidently preferred to let his own 
works and the voices of others tell his real na- 
ture, rather than proclaim it frequently by mere 
assertion. So, instead of a direct answer, he asks 
them about 

'^ The baptism of John, whence was it T^ The usual 
thought is, that Jesus asked this question, know- 
ing they would evade the answer, and thus in- 
geniously prepare the way for him also to evade 
the answer to their inquiry. To me there seems 
an added, deeper design. John was the forerun- 
ner, "to prepare the way of the Lord." His 
baptism pledged repentance, and promised the 
Messiah. Now, was this promise that Christ 
should come — a promise linked to every cere- 
mony of baptism by John — "from Heaven or of 
men?" If Heaven gave John the right to promise 
me, why longer doubt ? Hence this question was 
not merely to rebuke their inconsistency, nor to 
corner them so that they would say, "we cannot 
tell ?" In many other ways he could have done 
that ; but it was to force their mind and con- 
science to answer correctly their own question, 
and admit his Messiahship and authority. 



Mat. 28. — 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, say- 
ing. All power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth. 

19 •[ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost : 



MATTHEW. 37 



20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 
have commanded you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even 
unto the end of the world. Amen. 

Here are the last words of the Savior, as re- 
corded by Matthew. Their force and beauty are 
truly charming. Why the eighteenth and nine- 
teenth verses are separated by a paragraph, we 
do not know. The Hherefore^^ of the nineteenth is 
based upon the "saying'' of the eighteenth, bind- 
ing them into one paragraph. 

"All power is given unto me in Heaven and 
earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, 
baptizing them." 

As, in baptism, the minister pledges favor from 
Heaven, how important that he should receive 
his authority from one who has "aM power in 
Heaven." As he is to demand pledges of right 
conduct from men, it is equally important that 
he holds commission from him who has "all 
power in earth" to rule and govern. Acting 
under this high authority, they are to "go and 
teach all nations." The order of procedure is 
very natural. First, they are to give them full 
instruction about all the duties they owe to God, 
and the blessings they may receive from him. 
Then, with sacramental ceremony, bind them to 
all those duties, promising them all those bless- 
ings — not in their own name, not in "the name 
of Paul," or Peter, or any finite being, but "in 



38 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost." 

A minister to a foreign court makes all his 
contracts in the name of his own government. 
All the duties required are to his government. 
All the favors promised are from his government. 
So, every truly baptized person is under sacra- 
mental bonds to each person of the Godhead, 
and if they continue faithful to their contract, 
"the blessings of God, the Father, and the Son 
and the Holy Ghost" shall abide with them for- 
ever. But they must guard well their part ot 
the covenant, and every true minister will help 
them so to do. 

^Teaching them to observe all things whatso- 
ever I have commanded you." Not one duty to 
be neglected; not augmenting the importance of 
one to the neglect of others. There is a kind of 
double emphasis of force here — ^'all things what- 
soever.'^^ 

To the minister who does this persistently 
and faithfully through life, — to such the words 
of the Master are ever ringing, sweeter than the 
harps of angels : ^'Lo, I am with you always, 
even unto the end of the world. Amen." 



MARK 



Mark 1. — 4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and 
preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 

5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, 
and they of Jerusalem, and all were baptized of him in the 
river of Jordan, confessing their sins. 

Our notes on this Gospel may be brief. On 
our theme there is but little that is new, per- 
haps nothing except the modified phraseology, 
which, in the commission, appears to be a new 
mode of presenting the subject. In fact, accord- 
ing to Dr. Stowe, in the entire gospel of St. 
Mark there are ^'but twenty-four verses the sub- 
stance of which is not found in Matthew and 
Luke." The same author adds that Mark ^^very 
much condenses the conversations and discourses 
of Jesus." 

"John did baptize," etc. (See Mat. 3: 1, 2.) 
One expression occurs here for the first time , 
we shall often meet it, — '^baptism of repentance^ 
I have already urged this expression against the 
materialistic and in favor of the spiritual mean- 
ing of our Bible-used word "baptism. Repent- 
ance is an exercise of the human spirit, and we 



40 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

boldly ur^e that it cannot be baptized in the 
sense of immersed, or sprinkled, or poured. 

Should the Bible Union force their new trans- 
lation upon us, then the word 'Hmmersion^^ in this 
sentence would appear to the reflecting mind 
very absurd or meaningless, unless we entirely 
eliminated from the word its material meaning? 
giving to it one purely and only spiritual. 

^'Preach the baptism /^^ We know from the rec- 
ord just what John preached. He preached the 
duty of repentance. He preached of One might- 
ier coming to bless, to pardon, to save. This 
duty of man and this ^'gift of God" are the two 
ideas of the covenant or baptism he preached. 

This duty and this Jesm are '^for the remission 
of sins," — the duty a condition, the Jesus an 
almighty saving power. 



Mark 1. — 8 I indeed have baptized you with water; but 
he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 

9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came 
from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in 
Jordan. 

10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw 
the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending 
upon him. 

11 And there came a voice from Heaven, saying^ Thou 
art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

See all this and more in Mat. 3: 13-17. We 
print these paragraphs, on which we do not add 



MARK. 41 



any comment, hoping that the student, before 
he lays down the volume, will read carefully and 
consecutively every verse of the New Testament 
upon this theme. 



Mark 7. — 4 And when they come from the market, except 
they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, 
which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, 
and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables. 

5 Then the Pharisees and Scribes asked him, WTiy walk 
not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, 
but eat bread with unwashen hands ? 

6 He answered and said unto them. Well hath Esaias 
prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people 
honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for 
doctrines the commandments of men. 

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold 
the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups : and 
many other such like things ye do. 

We had thought of omitting this clause and a 
few other similar passages, where the word has 
no ceremonial or religious meaning whatever, 
and hence has been properly enough translated 
by '^the seventy." But we concluded to insert 
them, although they are of no service to us in 
searching for the spirituality of the ceremony. 
''Except they wash," baptize^ etc., ''Baptizing of 
cups and pots, brazen vessels and of tables," 

"Tables." This word, in the original, means 
beds or couches. It has been often urged that the 



42 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

immersing of these things was inconsistent and 
unreasonable. 



Mark 10. — 35 Tf And James and John, the sons of Zeb- 
edee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou 
shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 

36 And he said unto them. What would ye that I should 
do for you? 

37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, 
one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in 
thy glory. 

38 But Jesus said unto them. Ye know not what ye ask : 
can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized 
with the baptism that I am baptized with? 

39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said 
unto them. Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; 
and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be 
baptized : 

40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is 
not mine to give ; but it shall be gwen to them for whom it 
is prepared. 

See Mat. 20 : 20-23. 



Mark 11. — 30 The baptism of John, was it from Heaven, 
or of men? answer me. 

This verse, with the entire paragraph, finds 
its parallel with notes in Mat. 21 : 23-27. 



Mark 16. — 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but 
he that believth not shall be damned. 



MARK. 43 



Of all that Mark has written upon this sub- 
ject, this 16th verse demands most attention. It 
is claimed by some that this verse proves that 
baptism and faith are of equal importance as 
conditions of salvation. This error would do no 
harm if we all felt the full force of a present 
spirituality, truly belonging to every one who 
now ^Hs baptized^'' — a spirituality lost by some 
who were once baptized. But if the condition 
expressed by the words, "is baptized,'' be equally 
important to the one expressed by the word "be- 
lieveth," this verse does not prove it. Prom its 
construction, we have no proof how highly the 
Savior esteemed the condition expressed by the 
words, '4s baptized." To illustrate this, let me 
frame a sentence : "The society of the good and 
the educated I choose, but the society of those 
not good I shun." No reader could tell by the 
above sentence how highly I prize education, or 
whether I would shun the company of the un- 
learned. They do know that goodness is an 
essential element of character in such as I choose 
for companions, and that I would shun all who 
had it not ; but, as far as my statement proves, I 
might or I might not shun the uneducated. 

In some forms of expression, the once-men- 
tioned qualification must be regarded as the one 
least important to the speaker. Should a mer- 
chant, desiring a clerk, say, "he that is a good 



44 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

penman and a temperate man can have the sit- 
uation, but he that is not a good penman cannot 
be employed," we should all think that good 
penmanship was the most important qualifica- 
tion in the mind of the merchant. Had he, in 
the last half of the sentence, said that *'he that 
is not temperate cannot be employed," it would 
have seemed that sobriety was the most import- 
ant feature of character. 

The once repeated qualification may, in the 
estimation of the speaker, be very unimportant 
or very important. I will write two illustrative 
statements — statements which I verily believe : 

First^ He that believeth and is a member of 
the Baptist church shall be saved, but he that 
believeth not shall be damned. 

Second^ He that believeth and is holy shall 
be saved, but he that believeth not shall be 
damned. 

Holding the above sentences to be true, I 
hold also that in the one sentence the once re- 
peated qualification is very unimportant^ and in 
the other sentence absolutely essential. That 
importance or non-importance cannot be proven 
from the form of the sentences, but must be 
sought for elsewhere. So of this noted verse 
before us. We must go to some other text for 
proof that he that is not baptized "shall be 
damned." It comes no nearer saying this than 



MARK. 45 



I did, a moment since, of saying that ^'he that is 
not a member of the Baptist church shall be 
damned." 

It has been claimed that the two points ex- 
pressed in the first wing of such a sentence are 
surely implied in the second. This is true only 
when the two points mentioned are so interwoven 
that the one is implied in the other. In the 
sentence ^^He that is good and truthful will be 
respected, but he that is not good will not be 
respected," there is probably implied the thought 
that he that is not truthful will not be respected ; 
for the two are so united that all we say of the one 
seems to be implied of the other. So, in the 
sentence ^'He that believeth and is holy shall 
be saved, but he that believeth not shall be 
damned," as holiness is united ever with faith, 
we may infer that without holiness we will be 
lost. But if they are not thus united, we have 
no right to draw such an inference. 

Now, if the expression, ''is baptized," refers 
to some fact disconnected with a present faith, — 
as indifferent as a past meaningless immersion, 
the absence of that fact puts the soul in no more 
peril than would poverty^ if truth had said, he 
that believeth and is ncA, shall be saved; but he 
that believeth not, shall be damned. 

We do not believe that it refers to such a dis- 
connected, useless fact, but to a present spiritu- 
ality, commencing at baptism, and continuing 



46 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

through the entire religious life of the believer. 
Had I been sure every reader would have en- 
dorsed our view of baptism, regarding it as a 
solemn covenant, to be kept, moment by mo- 
ment, till death, I should have passed in silence 
the above pages; but I will let them stand for 
the good of all who put stress in outer ceremony, 
forgetting the deep spirituality. 

This verse should prove the present spiritual- 
ity of baptism. Notice the tense, ^Hs baptized." 
If we were using the Testament of the Bible 
Union, the expression, ''is immersed," must 
drop its literal meaning and take on a spiritual 
idea; for the exact thing expressed by the word 
is to be a present something till death; and the 
materialism of the ceremony is no part of that 
something. 

We again remind the reader that wherever 
the Bible ascribes moral value to baptism, it as- 
cribes it to that which is abiding, ever-present. 

Upon this spirituality, this abiding covenant 
between God and our souls, we may place almost 
infinite emphasis. Conscience cannot overrate 
the sacredness of our vows. Faith cannot over- 
rate the fullness of God's promises. 



LUKE. 



Luke 3. — 3 And he came into all the country about Jor- 
dan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission 
of sins; 

4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias, the 
prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 
prepare ye the way of the Lord ; make his paths straight. 

5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and 
hill shall be brought low ; and the crooked shall be made 
straight, and the rough ways shall he made smooth; 

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of G-od. 

7 Then said He to the multitude that came forth to be 
baptized of him, O, generation of vipers, who hath warned 
you to flee from the wrath to come. 

The above verses are nearly the same as we 
have had in Matthew and Mark. 

See Mat. 3: 5-12. 

Luke 3. — 12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, 
and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 

13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that 
which is appointed you ; 

14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, 
and what shall we do? And he said unto them. Do violence 
to no man, neither accuse any falsely ; and be content with 
your wages. 



48 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men 
mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, 
or not ; 

16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed bap- 
tize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, the 
latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose ; he 
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. 

Still the exhortation continues, instructing 
them and urging upon them the very duties the 
truly repentant will perform. 

"All men mused >i^ * >}^ whether he were 
the Christ or not." This is in harmony with 
the suggestion that Christ, when he came, was 
expected to baptize. Now, is not this John, who 
baptizes with such zeal, the Christ? John an- 
swers them proclaiming the coming of one 
mightier, who shall baptize with the Holy 
Ghost and with fire. 



Luke 3. — 21 Now when all the people were baptized, it 
came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, 
the Heaven was opened, 

22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like 
a dove upon him, and a voice came from Heaven, which 
said, Thou art my beloved Son ; in thee I am well pleased. 

Nothing new here, except to the record of 
Matthew is added the word ^^praying." * 

That prayer was in harmony with his nature 
and wants. Was it not for strength and courage 
to keep the solemn vow which he thus made "to 



LUKE. 49 



fulfill all righteousness?" If so, it harmonized 
with the prayer in the garden, "Not my will, 
but thine, be done.'' 



Luke 7. — 28 For I say unto you, Among those that 
are born of women there is not a greater prophet than 
John the Baptist ; but he that is least in the kingdom of 
God is greater than he. 

29 And all the people that heard Mm^ and the publicans, 
justified Grod, being baptized with the baptism of John. 

30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of 
God against themselves, being not baptized of him. 

By a reference to this entire chapter, we shall 
find the burden of discourse largely concerning 
John "the prophet" and "more than a prophet*' 
of olden times. 

How natural that those whom John baptized 
"justified God ; and that the others should "re- 
ject the counsels of God against themselves." 

The baptized are here seen to act in harmony 
with their covenant, while the unbaptized still 
reject divine counsel. 



Luke 11. — 37 Tf And as he spake, a certain Pharisee 
besought him to dine with him : and he went in and sat 
down to meat. 

38 And when the Pharisee saw ^^, he marvelled that he 
had not first washed before dinner. 
4— 



50 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

^'Washed before dinner." The word "washed" 
is the same as baptized. It is well to translate 
it by a word descriptive of external action. This 
verse can give us no light upon the one great 
object of our research — the spirituality of the 
ceremony of christian baptism. 

Ordinary eating and drinking around our 
tables would give us as much information con- 
cerning the "communion of * * Christ," as 
will any merely secular baptism give on the sub- 
ject we are discussing. 



Luke 12. — 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; 
and how am I straitened till it be accomplished ! 

These are almost the only words of Jesus 
upon the subject of baptism which Luke has 
put on record — the only words, except the 
references to the baptism of John. Luke does 
not report the words of Christ to John, at the 
time of his baptism ; nor does Luke report any 
reference at all to the subject, when he men- 
tions the commission to the disciples to go preach; 
but he does record a command for them to "tarry 
in Jerusalem" until they "be endued with power 
from on high." 

Well may we, then, linger with deep interest 
over this one sad verse. 

The word ^'suneko,^^ here translated "straitened," 
has these difierent renderings in the New Testa- 



LUKE. 51 



merit : "was pressffed," "thronged," "held/' "kept 
in," as if surrounded, "taken with," as by disease 
or force. Whedon tersely puts it, "compressed 
and grasped, as if by a pressure enclosing on 
every side." 

Our views find here a fine illustration : I have 
a bond to be bound with ; I have it now- a 
present covenant ; and I am not ready yet to 
throw it off ; I am to be baptized [bound] with 
it a while longer ; and no being in all the uni- 
verse of God or the ages of eternity ever was or 
ever shall be so '^ straitened f^ for this bond — this 
covenant — requires me to bear all the sins of the 
world in my own body on the cross. 

Thank God, he kept his vow ; for "he came 
not by water only, but by water and blood." 

This is one of my favorite verses for self-exam- 
ination and discipline. When my zeal for Christ 
needs to be quickened, I love to use it as my 
own, saying to myself, "I have a baptism," and 
with open discipline read : "Dost thou renounce 
the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and 
glory of the world, with all covetous desires of 
the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so 
that thou wilt not follow or be led by them ?" 
Sentence by sentence, as I read, I ask my heart : 
"Dost thou now do this? As sure as I now have a 
baptism real and unimpaired, so sure is it that, 
moment by moment, heart-beat by heart-beat, all 



52 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

through life, ''I renounce them all." Still I read, 
^'Wilt thou then obediently keep God's holy will 
and commandments, and walk in the same all 
the days of thy life?" With this baptism I, 
too, am straitened, not to a crucifixion of my 
body, I trust, but so straitened that spiritually 
I may ^'be crucified with Christ," yea, ^'buried 
with him by baptism to death" — he, by keeping 
his baptismal vow to the death and burial of 
his body ; I, by keeping mine to the death and 
burial of all mj^ carnality. 



Luke 20. — 4 The baptism of John, was it from Heaven, 
or of men? 

On this verse and the entire paragraph, see 
Mat. 21: 23-27. 



JOHN. 



John 1. — 25 And they asked him, and said unto him 
Why baptizest thou, then, if thou be not that Christ, nor 
Elias, neither that Prophet? 

26 John answered them, saying", I baptize with water; 
but there standeth one among you whom ye know not. 

27 He it is who, coming after me, is preferred before me ; 
whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 

28 These things were done in Bethabara, beyond Jor- 
dan, where John was baptizing. 

29 Tf The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, 
and sayeth, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away 
the sin of the world ! 

30 This is he of whom I said. After me cometh a man 
which is preferred before me ; for he was before me. 

31 And I knew him not, but that he should be made 
manifest to Israel; therefore am I come baptizing with 
water. 

32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the spirit de- 
scending from Heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 

33 And I knew him not ; but he that sent me to baptize 
with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt 
see the spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same 
is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 

34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the son of 
God. 



54 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

''Why baptizest thou, then, if," etc. This har- 
monizes with the view that baptism, though not 
much practiced among the Jews, was specially 
expected when Christ should come. 

''I baptize with water." This expression has 
been urged against immersion and in favor of 
sprinkling or pouring. May we not better urge 
it against all those materialistic conceptions 
which substitute modes of baptizing for the real 
thing itself? Just test the question by putting 
into the above expression the full visible de- 
scription. On your brow I sprinkle water with 
ivater. On your head I pour water with water. 
This form of thought is not much better than ''1 
immerse your body into water with icatery Either 
of the three expressions are about like the fol- 
lowing : At the communion table I eat and 
drink bread and wine icith bread and ivine. 

Closely scan this line of inspiration, and see 
how beautifully it accords with our claim of the 
spirituality of the word. I covenant with 
water. I take your bond and give you God's 
promise ; and I do this, not with pen and ink, 
not with a literal seal pressed on wax or paper, 
not with ashes sprinkled over your person, but 
I covenant you with water, — with the simplest, 
brightest, purest emblem of all the blessings 
God will give. 



JOHN. 55 



''In Eethabara." (See Whedon on this verse. 
We quote him in part.) ''Perhaps this long- 
debated question has been rightly settled by a 
late very scholarly traveler, who identifies Beth- 
abara with Beth-Nimrah, a little north of the 
Bethabaraon our map. It is probably the ford 
passed by the Baptists' great type, Elijah, the 
Tishbite, on his way to the ascension." 

"And I knew him not but that he should be 
made manifest to Israel; therefore am I come 
baptizing.'' We urge attention to this verse, 
especially to the word therefore and its relations. 
A reason of ''baptizing^^ was the knowledge that 
the Messiah "should be made manifest." It looks 
like proof that he could not have baptized had he 
not in some way known that Messiah was near at 
hand. The mere pledge to repent, he could have 
received of them, but this pledge is only one part 
of the baptism. There is another side to this 
covenant, a promise from God, and that part he 
never could have performed, unless he had 
knowledge of the coming one. 

"And I knew him not," etc. Although he 
knew he was near, yet he knew not specif- 
ically the exact person, except as by the evi- 
dences referred to in this entire verse. God, 
who commissioned John, instructs him how 
to know the one who was ''after him" as to time, 
but "before him" as to "real worth," "Baptizeth 



56 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

with the Holy Ghost." For the analogy between 
water baptism and Holy Ghost baptism, see 
Acts 1:5. 



John 3. — 3 Jesus answered and said nnto Mm, (Nicode- 
mus, ) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be bom 
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

4 Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be bom 
when he is old ? Can he enter the second time into his 
mother's womb, and be bom ? 

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except 
a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter 
the kingdom of G-od. 

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that 
which is bom of the Spirit is spirit. 

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be bom 
again. 

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest 
the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and 
whither it goeth ; so is every one that is bom of the Spirit. 

The central thought of the above quotation is 
the absolute necessity of a spiritual transforma- 
tion, that we may be ready for ^'the kingdom of 
God.'' 

Some modern theologians (?) are still making 
the mistake of Nicodemus. They are insisting 
that a man's body or ^'flesh" can and must be 
born again, even if he is old; and that the im- 
mersed man, coming out of the water, is the one 
that realizes this mysterious experience. Such 
an exposition of this text, and such an argument 
for immersion, may be new to many of my read- 



JOHN. 57 



ers. I never heard of it till seventeen years 
after my last school-day was passed. And then, 
I hardly know whether surprise or a sense of the 
ludicrous most affected me. But I am sure the 
latter far exceeded any conviction I felt under 
the force of the logic. The sixth verse should 
have settled the blunder of the modern as well 
as the ancient Nicodemus. It fixes the question 
beyond all debate, that it is not ''flesh," but the 
"spirit," that is to be "born." The reference 
here to water has created a general impression 
that baptism is referred to, although the word 
"baptize" does not occur in any form. We will 
not call in question this long-accepted view of 
the church. But we need not believe that the 
once-mentioned water sustains the same import- 
ance as the thrice-mentioned Spirit. At most, 
the water is only a condition, while the "Spirit" 
is the cause, the almighty cause of a great change. 

"Born of water and of the Spirit." To my 
mind, here, the stress lies not so much upon the 
fact of using water, as it does upon so using it as 
to make it the occasion of the Holy Spirit re- 
generating the human spirit. 

To know the condition of one "born of the 
Spirit," read carefully 1 John : 3, 9 — "He that is 
[not was, but is,3 born of God doth not commit sm 
[voluntarily, knowingly,] for [this reason, and 
no other,] his seed remaineth in him, and [hence, 



68 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

and for no other reason,] he cannot sin, because 
he is born of God." 

From this verse and others, we learn that the 
new birth so transforms the soul, infusing into 
it the Spirit of God, that while it ^'remaineth''^ 
there, it forbids all voluntary sinning, and, like 
"seed," is germinant of all goodness. 

Such a change, produced by the Spirit and 
power of God, is the essential qualification for 
the Kingdon of God. If the '^ water " of the 
text is the baptismal water, then with what 
intense consecration to God, and holy resolutions 
and mighty faith, must it be used, that the mo- 
ment of its use may be the sublime moment of 
Holy Ghost transformation! There have been 
such water and Spirit baptisms, and there should 
be many more ; but they are as far above some 
others, of the same outer appearance, as is the 
"fervent, effectual prayer" that "availeth" much, 
above the sounding brass and tinkling cymbal 
sentences of one standing on the corners of the 
streets to be seen of men. A man is blessed of 
prayer and of the Spirit (prayer the condition, 
the Spirit the power,) only when his prayer is 
right before God, full of faith, humility and 
desire. To confide in the fact of having offered 
a prayer of a different type, and one that was 
not blessed of the Spirit, would be folly. To put 
stress upon the fact of the use of baptismal 



JOHN. 59 



water, unless the Holy Spirit owns "the ordi- 
nance divine," would be equal folly, for ^^ye 
must be born again." 

We may here express our surprise at the long 
debate whether the sacraments are uniform modes 
of receiving blessings, or the mere signs of bless- 
ings. 

Is prayer, in its externals — its uttered sen- 
tences — a uniform mode of obtaining blessings, 
or is it merely a sign of blessings? Prayer, hav- 
ing been ordained of God, may be a sign, — a 
reminder, at least, — that there are blessings for 
man; but only the right kind of spiritual prayer 
is the mode of their reception, and only in such 
a prayer is the external attitude a sign of their 
reception. 

God ordained bread and wine for communion. 
They are a sign of blessings. Their use is both 
a sign and mode of receiving blessings, but only 
when they are used aright. 

God ordained water for baptism. It' is a sign 
of blessings for man. Its sacramental use should 
always be associated with blessings. It is so 
when used aright. The blessings of Heaven 
rested upon Jesus before and at his baptism. So 
also of every infant. So of the Gentiles at the 
house of Cornelius. And the most guilty, ap- 
proaching the sacramental water with penitence 
and laith and holy vow to lead a new life, shall 



60 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

receive blessings from the throne; but the water 
thoughtlessly or wickedly used is neither a sign 
or mode of receiving blessings. Persons so re- 
ceiving it will still be "in the gall of bitterness 
and in the bonds of iniquity." 



John 3. — 22 ■" After these things came Jesus and his 
disciples into the land of Judea ; and there he tarried with 
them, and baptized. 

23 ■" And John also was baptizing in Enon near to Salim, 
because there was much water there : and they came and 
were baptized. 

''After these things.'' The plain preaching 
referred to about love, belief, light, etc., ''The 
land of Judea," ''The country in distinction from 
Jerusalem." (Whedon). 

"Jesus * * * ^ ^ * baptized." We 
understand the qualifying verse (Chap. 4 : 2,) 
applies here, also; so that this baptizing was 
performed by the command of Christ, rather 
than by him in person. Some regard these 
cases of baptism like John's, in nature and 
design. I am not inclined to claim this. It 
seems rather that here is the record of the bap- 
tism of those who, early in the ministry of 
Jesus, covenanted directly to be his. 

''John also was baptizing." I see no incon- 
sistency in John binding others to repent and 
get ready for the blessings of the Messiah, even 



JOHN. 61 



after Jesus had began to select and consecrate 
his followers to their entire life's work. The 
primary and higher departments of a school may 
exist together ; yet the primary may be merged 
into the higher as soon as that has fallen into 
the care of such a '^wonderful" man as can gov- 
ern and instruct perfectly both the lower and 
the higher. 

"In Enon near to Salim, because there was 
much water there." It was very necessary for 
the large crowds, with their camels and beasts to 
be at a place where water was abundant. Every 
camp-ground is selected with special reference 
to a good supply of water, but this does not 
prove that they immerse their converts. 

"Much water'' — Greek: Manyivaters, A place 
of small streams from many small springs, 
answers best to the description and locality, and 
gives no proof to the mode of baptism. 



John 3. — 25 % Then there arose a question between 
some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. 

26 And they came unto John and said unto him, Rabbi, 
he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest 
witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to 
him. 

This place is referred to by some writers in 
proof that purifying and baptizing are identical. 
We do not admit their uniform identity, for One 



62 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

was baptized who never needed purifying. We 
have preferred to fasten upon an idea appropri- 
ate to the pure and the impure, a covenant to do 
all the work assigned us on earth. Such a cov- 
enant becometh the Holy One, and such a cove- 
nant may help all others forward in the way to 
purity. 

This is all we need to admit to make the ex- 
position of this text easy and natural. If we 
are speaking of elevating a nation, any subject 
that is supposed to bear upon their elevation is 
relevant to the debate, whether it be education, 
special legislation or something else. So bap- 
tism, related as it is to purifjang, was appropri- 
ate to this discussion. 



John 4 — 1 When, therefore, the Lord knew how the 
Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more 
disciples than John, 

2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disci- 
ples, ) 

3 He left Judea, and departed again into G-alilee. 

^'More than John." More at this date. Christ 
is increasing, while John is decreasing. 

"Jesus himself baptized not, but his disci- 
ples." Jesus baptized by agents, according to 
the maxim, "Whoso does by another, does by 
himself." It was for the disciples to attend to 
the external. It was for Jesus to baptize with 
the Holy Ghost. 



JOHN. 63 



John 10. — 39 Therefore they sought again to take him; 
but he escaped out of their hand, 

40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place 
where John at first baptized ; and there he abode. 

'^Beyond Jordan." No proof in this expres- 
sion of the distance from the river. More likely 
it refers to crossing over the river. 

"Into the place where John at first baptized" 
— the Bethabara mentioned in Chap. 1 : 28 — the 
place where Christ was baptized. Now that per- 
secution has assailed Him, he retires to this 
sacred spot, more quiet now than when the 
'*voice crying" drew the multitudes there. 

"And there He abode ;" and ^Hhere^^ and every- 
where I hear Him saying, "I have a baptism, 
* * * and how am I straitened till it be ac- 
complished." 



ACTS, 



Acts 1. — 4 And, being assembled together with them. 
commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusa- 
lem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith 
7ie^ ye have heard of me. 

5 For John truly baptized with water ; but ye shall be 
baptized with the Holy G-host not many days hence. 

We come now to examine what might be called 
the second gospel of St. Luke. In the first, he 
tells "US of the work of Christ while on earth 
laying the foundation of His church. In the 
second, he tells of the same Christ extending 
that church "to the Jew first, and also to the 
Gentile." In "the former treatise" the second 
person of the Trinity incarnate is ever before 
us. Now that He has gone up on high, the third 
person of the Trinity becomes prominent, abid- 
ing with, purifying and energizing all true 
workers. The former was marked by holy pre- 
cept, this by heroic practice. In the first, there 
was promise ; all through this there is fulfill- 
ment. 



ACTS. 65 



*'Wait for the promise." Here the fulfillment 
of promise is called "the promiseJ^ The note or 
bill given by one of ample resources and honor, 
passes at par value, and may be called money, 
although strictly it is but the pledge of money. 
We would fix attention here, not so much to 
show the meaning of the above sentence as to 
illustrate a law of lacguage which applies to the 
primary and secondary ideas of our word "bap- 
tize.*' As the word promise, which usually 
means making a pledge^ here means the keeping 
of it, so baptizing refers not only to covenant 
mahing, bat also to covenant keeping. 

The next verse illustrates these meanings. 
Like beautiful parallels the two expressions, 
"the promise of the Father" and "'ye shall be 
baptized with the Holy Ghost,'* 

"Baptized ^ >i^ ^ baptized." The com- 
parative meaning of the word, as used in the 
first and last part of this verse, demands careful 
attention. Our view has been expressed already. 
Now, as we come to the frequent use of the word 
in these two-fold relations, it becomes us to indi- 
cate more fully the reason for our mode of inter- 
pretation. 

In the sentences "baptized with water" and 
''baptized with the Holy Ghost" there is evi- 
dently some resemblance of meaning to the word 
as used in both places. 
—5 



66 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

Can baptizing with the Holy Ghost resemble 
anything that is visible or material in any mode 
of water baptism? Or is not the only resem- 
blance to be found in that which, in water bap- 
tism, is spiritual? Carefully scan the assumed 
materialistic resemblances, and there underlies 
all such comparisons the conception of the ma- 
teriality, — I should say the fluidity, of the Holy 
Ghost. 

It seems strange that so many of our friends 
should have assumed that the Bible expression, 
^'pour out of my Soirit," suggests a material 
motion, like water poured out. The word ''ekkeo,^^ 
found in Acts 2: 17, 18, 23, and twice translated 
"pour out," and once ^' hath shed forth," has, 
according to Liddell and Scott, in the New Testa- 
ment, this, as well as other meanings, ''to lavish^ 
One of Webster's definitions of ^^pour" is, "to 
throw in profusion." In all reason, the expres- 
sion, "pour out of my Spirit," has especial refer- 
ence to the abundance of its bestowment. 

If the expression took its origin from the 
pourinsj of water, and if the one is the figure of 
the other, then the analogy may run along thus 
far. Both are of God. Both are given to bless. 
Both are given freely, lavishly. But to carry 
the analogy forward, and assume that the Holy 
Ghost comes into contact with men by the same 
mode of approach that water does when poured 



ACTS. 67 



on them from a bowl or cup, is an assumption 
totally unfounded. It is an assumption involv- 
ing the contradiction of a material Spirit — a 
Holy Ghost with at least some of the attributes 
of water — enough of those attributes so that 
both can be handled or used exactly alike in the 
process of baptizing. 

Equally objectionable is the idea of a literal 
immersion into the Holy Ghost. Any expres- 
sion or conception which involves the materi- 
ality of the Holy Ghost is absolutely revolting 
— whether we talk or think of it as filling a 
pond or a pitcher, a tank or a tumbler, to be 
used in immersing or pouring. 

Had not the visible, material part of water-bap- 
tism been overrated, a resemblance between that 
materiality and Holy Ghost baptism would never 
have been sought for. The utter impossibility 
of materiality being like spirituality, coupled 
with the absolute certainty that the Holy Ghost 
baptism is entirely a spiritual w^ork, should long 
ago have led to a full recognition of the true 
character of water baptism as a work always 
spiritual in its central, true nature, even though 
there is an outer form appended thereto. 

But while we claim for the word in the two 
relations some resemblance, we need not look for 
exact identity of meaning. Were the work done 
by the Holy Ghost the same as that done by a 
minister with water, then its doings are but a 



68 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

superfluity — a useless repetition. Then, too, 
the Holy Ghost has done nothing more than a 
human agent had already done. 

This is one of the verses in which the exact 
thought "purify" does not readily substitute 
itself in the place of baptize." 

'^John truly purified with water, but ye shall 
be purified with the Holy Ghost not many days 
hence." If *'John truly purified," why need 
another to purify? 

So our chosen word **covenaut," with identity 
of meaning in both clauses, would be open to 
objection. If once truly covenanted, why again 
need to be covenanted? 

But with the variation of meaning already 
defined, all is harmonious. 

John, with water, covenants, but "he that 
Cometh after" shall with the Holy Ghost keep 
covenant ; and, as in the last verse, promise kept 
bears the same name as promise made, so it is in 
this fifth verse also. 

Other illustrations of the same use of lan- 
guage we can readily mention. 

The Lamb of God covenanted for ages, and the 
Lamb really slain by the keeping of that cove- 
nant, are both a real Savior. 

An agent of a county bargains with a man to 
build a bridge. That bargain we call a contract. 
On the one side the man says "I will build it so 
and so." On the other the agent says "the 



ACTS. 69 



county will pay you so much.^' Of the work he 
has to do to fulfill his bargain, he can say, "This 
is my contract.'^ Of the naoney he receives, he 
can call it contract money. 

The baptized have made a covenant — a con- 
tract. Their life's work for Jesus is their cove- 
nant ; their contract, their baptism. 

Like the work of the bridge-builder, which is 
called his contract, so our life's work is called 
our baptism. It is what we promised when we 
made the baptismal bargain. 

But our baptismal contract has also another 
side. God's minister pledged to us, if we did 
our work, the blessings of the Holy Ghost, to 
purify, to comfort, to save in Heaven. Now, all 
these blessings of the Holy Ghost are the ful- 
fillment of the divine part of this baptism with 
water. They are God's baptism (contracted 
blessings) given to us as by contract specified. 
And as these spiritual blessings are the best part 
of the baptism, they are the final part, the di- 
vine part — the benediction of Heaven to the 
water baptism recently or long since adminis- 
tered to us. Heaven help us to this best of all 
baptisms ! 



Acts 2. — 37 ^ Now when they heard this, they were 
pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest 
of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 



70 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized 
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remis- 
sion of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

"Baptized * * ^ for the remission of sins." 
Here is one of the few verses where baptism is 
plainly made a condition, or at least one of the 
conditions of "remission of sins." It is not easily 
explained by those who define baptism as merely 
"a sigD of regeneration." To advise a man to 
accept the sign of regeneration, before he is re- 
generated, seems awkward, to say the least. 

This verse arrested our attention, and held us 
a long time in that protracted period of Bible 
study alluded to in the Preface. Upon it we 
might have drifted away from our former views, 
and set up the claim that "remission of sins" 
was the one uniform idea or object of the ordi- 
nance ; but with all the Testament upon this 
subject spread out before us we could not possibly 
think so. The baptism of the Gentiles (Acts 
10), and especially the baptism of Jesus, forbade 
with tremendous emphasis such a conclusion. 

These several recorded baptisms, and also the 
Savior's words concerning himself as "baptized," 
guided us — yes, forced us — to a deeper meaning 
— to a generic idea that comprehended all these 
specific cases on record. That deep, all-compre- 
hensive idea we have named. It chimes in here 
grandly — repent and be baptized (covenanted) 
for the remission of sins; repent, and by sacrament 



ACTS. 71 



or Ksolemn oath, bind yourselves to the Triune God 
for all of life's duties, and let God's minister 
thereon pledge you heavenly favor, and apply to 
your person the God-ordained emblem of all of 
those favors, '^and ye shall receive the gift of the 
Holy Ghost." Here, again, water baptism and 
Holy Ghost baptism are closely allied. 

But at this point we must again insist that 
these great blessings are for those who are with 
hearty sincerity truly in spirit bound, or cove- 
nanted, to all of their duty here. 



Acts 2. — 41 T[ Then they that gladly received his word 
were baptized: and the same day there were added unto 
them about three thousand souls. 

This verse is good authority for the practice 
of our baptist friends of receiving members into 
the church by baptism. 

The covenantal character of the ceremony 
harmonizes well with this verse and their prac- 
tice. But the surrounding history is not quite 
as congenial to their usage of immersion, and 
especially to their theory of its immense import- 
ance. 

The sermon began at nine o'clock. It might 
have been ended, and the candidates duly ex- 
amined preparatory for baptism, by one o'clock. 

That there is a slight possibility of their im- 
mersion that afternoon, yes, in two hours more, 



72 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

I could admit, if I knew there were thirty men 
authorized to baptize, and thirty good places for 
immersion ; and if I could also believe that the 
city, displeased at this new excitement, would 
quietly allow those thirty places to be used; 
and also that these thirty hundred who came 
together, not expecting any such events, were 
still duly ready and willing to be immersed. 

A thoughtful mind can admit all this a hun- 
dred times easier than it can account for the ut- 
ter silence and careless brevity of the historian 
on all these points, provided that historian held 
the views of modern baptists, and was inspired 
to write this history by the All-seeing and All- 
loving One, who knew how millions of his chil- 
dren would grope for ages in a darkness that 
should exclude them from communion with his 
true church ! 

No baptist historian, since the days of Luke 
and Paul, have failed to make all the rest of the 
world understand their usage ! Is it not strange 
that the inspired Baptists were so terribly care- 
less ? 



Acts 8. — 12 But when they believed Philip preaching 
the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of 
Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 

13 Then Simon himself believed also : and when he was 
baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, behold- 
ing the miracles and signs which were done. 



ACTS. 73 



14 Now, when the apostles which were at Jerusalem 
heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they 
sent unto them Peter and JoJin ; 

15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, 
that they might receive the Holy G-host. 

16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them, only 
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received 
the Holy Ghost. 

There is nothing very new or peculiar here, 
except the baptizing of Simon, who seems not to 
have been duly converted. 

It is said of him (verse 21) ''Thy heart is not 
right in the sight of God; also (verse 23), "Thou 
art in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of 
iniquity. It appears as though he did not fully 
consecrate himself to God, although he believed 
the preaching and received the external cere- 
mony. 



Acts 8. — 35 Then Philip opened his mouth and began at 
the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 

36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a 
certain water; and the eunuch said, See, here is water; 
what doth hinder me to be baptized? 

37 And Philip said. If thou believest with all thine heart, 
thou may est. And he answered and said, I believe that 
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still, and 
they went down both into the water, both Philip and the 
eunuch ; and he baptized him. 



74 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

While the baptism of three thousand in Jerus- 
alem in less than one day looks the least like an 
immersion of any on record, the baptism of the 
Eunuch, recorded above, seems, more than any 
other, to favor the practice of immersion. It 
seems enough like it to be a fair apology for im- 
mersion ; yet it falls far short of that absolute 
positiveness which, in our view, characterizes 
every essential duty of man. We stand on the 
broad ground that every duty necessary to church 
membership and salvation is made so plain that 
"the wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err 
therein." It seems more like an immersion, for 
it is the only place recorded of a march or even 
a movement of one step from the place of the 
preaching in order to administer the ordinance. 
If the case of the jailor (Acts 16: 33) is thought 
to be an exception, we ask you to examine ©ur 
note thereon. But this movement from the 
chariot to the water might have been for other 
reasons than to immerse. I have traveled with 
buggy some forty thousand miles, never having 
in my reach enough water to sprinkle on the 
brow of a believer. Perhaps, then, he had to go 
to the stream to sprinkle ; perhaps he went there 
to pour water upon him ; perhaps, to immerse him. 
Now, I can think of several ways in which the 
Author of this Bible, were he one-tenth part as 
anxious for me to be immersed as some of my 
good neighbors are, could have so worded this or 



ACTS. 75 



some other place as to take all this doubt away. 
Let it have been said, '-Yes, I see water, but 
there is not enough in this little rill." It was 
in the region of ^^Gaza, which is desert." I 
wrote little rill as an inference, for now there are 
no large streams there ; and this expression of 
the Eunuch is a sudden, short exclamation — Q^See^ 
water I ") — as if to call attention to what might 
have been unnoticed. But, admit a late big rain 
and an abundance. Then let the expression be, 
*'If yonder water is sufficient, what doth hin- 
der? " Or, let there be some hint at the quan- 
tity needed for baptism. Or, here or somewhere, 
let it be said that, although unprepared for the 
ceremony, yet in their zeal they heeded not 
their drenched apparel, and all this doubt disap- 
pears. 

Mark w^ell this point. // the theory of the im- 
mersionists be true, then the Author of the Bible 
wants all his church to believe in and 'practice 
immersion. He foresaw the dispute and doubt 
of the ages to come, and took sides with the 
immersionists, and gave out this Bible as a per- 
fect guide in faith and practice ; yet, in all its 
history there is not a hint at any kind of prep- 
aration to immerse ; or at any difficulty in im- 
mersing at any place where they were preaching, 
in houses, in jails, in Jerusalem — everywhere or 
anywhere, except in this chariot. There is not a 
hint at baptismal robes or a wet garment, or a 



76 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

baptistry. There is no reference to a providen- 
tial care over minister or subjects thus exposed. 
Modern Baptist writings are full of incidental 
hints on such points. They have beat the in- 
spired writers more than a million fold in these 
regards; for, while millions misunderstand the 
inspired Baptist, every one knows the exact views 
and usages of the uninspired ones ! 

But I may be asked : ^^Is there not the same 
uncertainty about sprinkling as there is about 
immersion ? And if the All-wise Author of the 
Bible disapproved of immersion, and required 
sprinkling, could he not have made this mode 
perfectly plain ?" And to these questions I give 
an affirmative reply; and with this reply enter 
my protest against the censure and ridicule 
sometimes cast upon those who in good con- 
science prefer immersion. The above argument 
works equally well against the advocate of either 
mode exclusively. If immersion was badly out 
of place, I believe God would in kindness have 
disabused the minds of millions of his worthy 
followers who have already submitted to it. 

Some thoughtful mind may urge another ques- 
tion here : ''Why did God leave the mode indefi- 
nite?" 

Our theory is under no more obligation to 
answer this question than any other, yet it is 
far more capable of doing so. The mode is in- 
definite, because, in all reason, it is absolutely 



ACTS. 77 



unimportant. Again, the exact mode may have 
been, of design, a little obscure, lest the masses 
should rely too much upon their having con- 
formed thereto. Did they all know the exact 
externals, they might 

"Have rested in the outer form, 
Nor knew its deep design. " 

In proof of this danger, I refer the reader to 
the great stress laid upon the externals of bap- 
tism by all those who are very confident that 
they do know the mode, and have conformed to 
it. 

Far better the dispute of the ages than the 
childish idea that ^-immersion is baptism," or 
"sprinkling is baptism." iVnd while these propo- 
sitions are discussed, the debate will never come to 
an end. I claim not a prophet's vision, nor do I 
need it to declare that this debate will last till 
the final judgment, if these externals are the 
things debated, and if to them special import- 
ance is attached. Undertake to attach great 
importance to the externals of a spiritual re- 
ligion, and to a precise form of those externals, 
and a form which God has not made plain, and 
man cannot make plain, and the undertaking is 
doomed to absolute failure. I believe God wanted 
the debate to go on till the sublime truth should 
be evolved that the essential of water baptism is 
not the sprinkling, nor the pouring, nor the im- 



78 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

mersing, but a grand spiritual work that should 
be done while water is used; and a work as far 
superior to the thing hitherto discussed, as is the 
soul superior to the body, or the Holy Ghost and 
all it can confer superior to a pond or a pitcher 
of water. 

I do not wish to treat with too much scorn the 
long debate of the past, but I am sincerely and 
intensely in earnest upon this subject. 

Childish ideas must give place to manly 
thoughts. Ask two children "What is the Lord's 
supper?" Says the little Methodist, "It is 
kneeling down at the altar, and eating bread and 
drinking wine.'' "That is not so," says the 
Presbyterian ; they sit in their seats, and the 
deacons hand it 'round, and they eat and drink." 
Their dispute is childish. It is about the mode 
of receiving the externals. 

Ask children, "What is marrying? " and with 
confidence they will tell of the ceremony — the 
standing up, the taking hold of hands, etc., etc. — 
not aware, it may be, that these are the append- 
ages of a spiritual reality — the union, by covenant, 
of two persons, so that henceforth in duty, in priv- 
ilege and in law they are one. 

So of baptizing. The childish idea has been, 
"it is sprinkling," or "it is pouring," or "it is 
immersing." This substitution of the material 
accompaniments of a spiritual reality for the 
reality itself, and then for ages quarreling over 



ACTS. 79 



this materialism, is certainly deserving the scorn 
and contempt of all thinking minds. 



Acts 9. — 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into 
the house, and putting his hands on him said. Brother 
Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the 
way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest re- 
ceive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had 
been scales ; and he received sight forthwith, and arose, 
and was baptized. 

Saul had been convinced that the Jesus he 
had opposed was verily divine. He had been 
blind three days. Of the cause of that blindness 
Whedon remarks : ^'It was perhaps the power- 
ful collision of spiritual forces — the divine upon 
the human, which drove the perceptive power 
of Saul inward and disabled it from action." 
While blind he was led into Damascus. 

Ananias, in a vision, is told ^^to go * * ^ 
and inquire in the house of Judas for one called 
Saul, of Tarsus." To relieve his fear and rejoice 
his heart, he is told that '^he prayeth" and '4s a 
chosen vessel to bear my name before the Gen- 
tiles and kings and the children of Israel." 

''And Annanias went his way and entered into 
the house ; and putting his hands upon him," 
uttered words of promise and of power. 



80 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

^'And immediately there fell from his eyes as 
it had been scales, and he received sight forth- 
with, and arose, and was baptized." 

Language can hardly be plainer in proof that 
Paul received baptism in a house and standing 
upon his feet. The interpolation* by Lechler of 
a journey to the banks of a river is good evidence 
that a far better Bible for exclusive immersion 
could be written than is the Bible our God has 
given us. One writer claims that "baptism in this 
case was preceded by faith, justification, regen- 
eration of the Holy Spirit, and even the special 
bestowment of the Holy Ghost." Comparing 
these verses with Paul's account of the same in 
the twenty-second chapter, we hesitate to indorse 
that claim. To my mind it is neither important 
nor certain whether he was regenated just before 
or exactly at the time of his baptism, Paul's 
own version of the case looks as if he so called 
upon God by prayer and faith, and so conse- 
crated himself that then and therefore his sins 
were all removed. 



Acts 10. — 44 Tl While Peter yet spake these words, the 
Holy Grhost fell on all them which heard the word. 

45 And they of the circumcision which believed were 
astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on 
the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

*See Dr. Whedon. 



ACTS. 81 

46 For they heard them speak with tong-ues, and mag- 
nify God. Then answered Peter, 

47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be 
baptized, which have received the Holy G-host as well as we ? 

48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name 
of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. 

''While Peter yet spake these words" — alluding 
to the discourse recorded in the former part of 
the chapter, showing that "God is no respecter 
of persons," etc. 

The sermon occurred in a house. This seems 
to be the meaning of the 27th verse. It is plainly 
stated, in Chap. 11, v. 12, "We entered into the 
man's house." There is no intimation or ap- 
pearance of their leaving the house to baptize. 

"Can any man forbid water." Proof that water 
wagj used. It seems also to have been in a condition 
to handle, to carry in a dish, or to forbid it being 
thus carried. We lay no special stress on this 
form of expression; yet, from our standpoint, it 
is interesting to notice how water seems always 
to have been handled, rather than the candidate. 

"The Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard 
the word." This "astonished" Jewish believers. 
The gift of the Holy Ghost is referred to in the 
47th verse as a past event, as Peter proposes to 
baptize them. The language puts it beyond a 
doubt that their true conversation, embracing 
the work of the Holy Ghost, preceded their bap- 
tism. In harmony with this is the statement 
6— 



82 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

of Peter, while they were debating the question 
of circumcising their Gentile converts. Acts 15 : 
8, 9 : "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare 
them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even 
as he did unto us; "And put no diflference be- 
tween us and them, purifying their hearts by 
faith." 

So plainly does this record put their salvation 
before their baptism, that those divines of my 
acquaintance who claim baptism as one of the 
indispensable conditions of the remission of sins, 
admit all we claim as to this history. 

They try to evade the force of the argument 
bv the claim that this was miraculous, and 
hence not in the order of" the regular plan of 
saving men. A miracle may be wrought to es- 
tablish or carry out the plan of salvation, but a 
miracle that evades or sets aside an essential 
condition of that plan is an unheard-of thing in 
the realm of truth. 

It will be remembered that this was one of 
the three distinct classes of baptized persons whose 
history held us in study until we discovered an 
idea which harmoniously adjusts the ordinance 
to these diverse characters. 

We must so define its nature that subjects of 
the kingdom can receive it as appropriately as 
those who seek to become such. 

Jesus, the eternally pure, and Gentiles, re- 
cently purified, did receive the ordinance. This 



ACTS. 



83 



is as plain as that awakened sinners were ever 
advised to be baptized. I know of no theolog- 
ical idea, save that of covenanting, that adjusts 
itself exactly to these three conditions. 



Acts 11. — 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost 
fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 

16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that 
he said, John indeed baptized with water ; but ye shall be 
baptized with the Holy G-host. 

17 For inasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as 
Tie did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what 
was I, that I could withstand God? 

Here is a repetition of the history of the con- 
versions of the Gentiles, harmonizing with the 
last record, but adding nothing new or peculiar 
to it. 



Acts 1^. — 28 Of this man's seed hath God, according to 
Tiis promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus : 

24 When John had first preached before his coming the 
baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 

25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think 
ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh 
one after me, whose shoes of Ms feet I am not worthy to 
loose. 

^Treached ^ -^ ^ ^ the baptism.'^ See 
Mark 1 : 4. 



Acts 16. — 13 And on the sabbath we went out of the 
city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; 



84 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted 
tliitlier. 

14 Tf And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, 
of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped G-od, heard U8: 
whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the 
things which were spoken of Paul. 

15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she 
"besought us^ saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful 
to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And 
she constrained us. 

^'On the Sabbath." The Jewish Sabbath. 
Early Christians did not disturb the sacredness 
of the seventh day, even after they preferred the 
first day of the week as their own favorite, hal- 
lowed day. 

''By a river side." Supposed to be one of the 
tributaries of the Strymon, which is nineteen 
miles from Phillippi. 

''Where prayer is wont to be made." Biscoe, 
as quoted by Whedon, gives abundant proof 
''that it was common with the Jews to choose 
the shore as a place highly fitted to offer up 
their prayers." 

How strangely careful to give some other rea- 
son than baptism for being here at this river ! 

"Lydia, * ^ whose heart the Lord opened, 
that she attended," etc. This is a text that we 
heard used triumphantly in a debate as to 
whether the Holy Ghost ever operated on the 
heart of man, except by using or applying God's 
word. While the speaker admitted that the 



ACTS. 85 



usual mode was through the word, he maintained 
that here was a plain case of its operation jprior 
to the spoken word — '^opening her heart, that 
she attended to the things spoken of Paul." 

'^Baptized and her household.'^ One of the 
jive cases of household baptisms, of which we may- 
say more hereafter. 

^^7f ye have judged me^''* etc. Recognizing the 
idea that she did not expect to entertain them 
unless they came as fellow- workers in Christ. 

There is also the plain inference that Lydia 
was the prominent personage — perfectly con- 
genial to the idea that the others were servants, 
or children. 



Acts 16. — 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what 
must I do to be saved ? 

31 And they said. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 

32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and 
to all that were in his house. 

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and 
washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, 
straightway. 

34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set 
meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in G-od with all 
his house. 

Following the conversion of Lydia was the 
cure of a damsel whose ^^soothsajang brought 
'^gain.'' This led to rage and censure, while 
Paul and Silas got "many stripes'' and an ^'inner 



86 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

prison," with "their feet fast in the stocks." 
Then follows ^*prayer and praises/' ^^great earth- 
quake" and "doors open," and alarmed keepers 
about to kill themselves but forbidden by Paul. 
Then they rush into the inner prison. 

''And brought them out^ Out from among the 
cells of the inner prison. Then the keeper cries, 
"Sir, what must I do to be saved? " And they 
preach to him and ''all that were in the house." 
In ancient prisons, as in modern jails, the house 
where the keeper and his family reside is fre- 
quently a part of the prison or jail building, an 
upper or adjoining apartment. 

"And he took them," etc. This looks like a 
change of places from the preaching before the 
baptismal service. But the object is mentioned. 
Their lacerated backs, on which their weight 
rested through the first part of that sad yet joy- 
ous night, must be washed. The first movements 
of grace will make men kindlier. That the 
leading object was to wash their stripes is 
further evident from the fact that the keeper, 
not the preacher, led the movement — "A^ took 
them,^^ There is no hint at their going out of 
the enclosure of the prison building. He had 
no right to take them away. Evidently they 
went to a room where there were accommodations 
for ordinary ablutions, handwashing and the 
like. 



ACTS. 87 



''And washed their stripes; and was baptized, he 
and all his^ How quietly done ! How little 
ado ! 

"Brought them into his house." Back again 
to the apartment of the family rooms. They 
are still in prison, for the magistrates become 
alarmed the next day on hearing that they had 
treated Roman citizens thus. 

Still later the magistrates "came and besought 
them, and brought them out and desired them 
to depart out of the city. And they went out 
of the prison." ("Verses 39 and 40.) 



Acts 18. — 8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the syna- 
gogue, believed on the Lord with all his house ; and many 
of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. 

Paul is now at Corinth. The last verse finds 
him in "a certain man's house, named Justus, 
one that worshipped God, whose house joined 
hard to the synagogue." 

Evidently Crispus was present. Paul says* : 
"I thank God I baptized none of you, but Cris- 
pus and Gains, ^ * ^ and the household of 
Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I bap- 
tized any other." 

It is then evident that some other person bap- 
tized some of these "many." 

*lCor, 1: 14, 16. 



88 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

Acts 19. — 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the 
Holy Grhost since ye believed ? And they said unto him. 
We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy 
Ghost. 

3 And he said unto them. Unto what then were ye bap- 
tized ? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 

4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism 
of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should be- 
lieve on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ 
Jesus. 

5 When they heard tlds. they were baptized in the name 
of the Lord Jesus. 

6 And when Paul had laid Ms hands upon them, the 
Holy Grhost came on them; and they spake ^^th tongues, 
and prophesied. 

7 And all the men were about twelve. 

''Have ye received the Holy Ghost ?" This 
question is addressed by Paul to "certain dis- 
ciples" at Ephesus. It seems as if Paul supposed 
that they were fully initiated into the doctrines 
of Christ. They knew something of Jesus, for 
all whom John bantized heard of "Him which 
should come after, that is, Jesus Christ." Yet 
they tell Paul, "We have not so much as heard 
whether there be any Holy Ghost," 

"Unto what then were ye baptized?" The 
j)eculiar appropriateness of this question is seen 
in the fact that the true followers of Christ were 
always baptized "in the name of the Father and 
of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." 

The fact that Christian baptism is frequently 
alluded to with the briefer expression (as in the 



ACTS. 89 



5th verse) : "baptized in the name of Jesus/' is 
no proof that the Triune formula was omitted. 
"The name of Jesus" refers to his authority, and 
to the formula he gave us for baptizing, and to 
the only baptismal formula in the universe, in 
which he has authorized the use of his name. 

Paul was so well aware of this fact that their 
ignorance of the Holy Ghost was totally unac- 
countable until he learned that they were bap- 
tized "unto John's baptism.'' 

On the fourth verse, Dr. Whedon remarks: 
''John's baptism, when received, obligated the 
people to repent anew of sin, in expectation of 
a soon-coming Messiah." With a slight modifi- 
cation, this expresses the covenantal idea to 
which we constantly adhere. Admit that this 
"expectation'' had a foundation in the divine 
promise of John's baptism, and it is our uniform 
definition. 

In John's baptism the people promised repent- 
ance, and John, as God's minister, promised a 
Messiah. 

The Doctor adds : "Yet, when Messiah came, 
he required a new baptism, obligating a conse- 
cration to him, whereby the spirit of promise 
would be poured out upon them, and they be 
emancipated into the full liberty of the sons of 
God." 

Nearer still is this language to a definition of 
a covenant. Here is the '^consecration^''^ the "06- 



90 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

ligating,^^ "whereby the spirit ^ ^ ^ would 
be poured out^^^ etc. Admit that the promise of 
blessings is in the baptismal ceremony (and the 
good doctor's ^^whereby^^ seems to admit it), and 
here is the covenant — duties to be performed, 
blessings to be received. And the blessings did 
come, for ^'the Holy Ghost came on thena." 

Here it is certain that ''about twelve" persons 
were re-baptized. . But the two covenants were 
so different in their nature that the making of 
the first did not excuse them from the second^ so 
different that this history gives no authority 
for the repetition of the ceremony in ordinary 
cases.* 

Acts 22, — 16 And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be 
baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of 
the Lord, 

Paul is now in ^'Jerusalem'' — "in the temple," 
telling the history of his life and conversion to 
Christianity. The above verse is part of the 
speech of Ananias to Paul. It links together, 
in regard to time, three things — baptism, purifica- 
tion and prayer. Their relation as to cause and 
effect is especially interesting. Paul is to '^be 
baptized. ^^ Annanias applies the water, and 
assures him of the divine favor. The promise 
of God, uttered by the minister, is so much more 
sublime than the promise of the man that the 

*Concerniii? one unworthily baptized. See final note. 



ACTS. 91 



minister might be regarded pre-eminently the 
actor in the covenantal part of the work even, 
but in addition to this he is the one only actor 
in applying water to the subject, or in bringing 
subject and water into contact with each other. 
Now, why the exhortation to Paul to^'wash away 
thy sins" ? This sentence is peculiar. Why 
does it not read, '^ Arise and be baptized, and have 
thy sins washed away," etc. This last form of 
speech might have been erroneously construed. 
The form of sentence might then have been 
cited in proof that the work of Ananias in bap- 
tizing Paul was the conditional cause of the re- 
moval of his sin. Thus the externals of baptism 
might have received undue credit for the removal 
of sin. But the form of expression guards us 
completely against such an idea. It stands 
almost alone in the Bible in ascribing the re- 
moval of sin to the agency of the sinner as the 
cause. Whether the removal of sin be attributed 
to the doings of Ananias or Paul, we should of 
course understand this action to be only the 
conditional cause, allowing divine power alone 
to be the real, efficient cause proper. Now, to 
whose agency does revelation propose, in the 
case of Paul, to give the honor of the cause (con- 
ditional) of his conversion ? Not to the doings 
of Ananias, not to the use of the externals of 
baptism? No! no! but only to what Paul did. 
Paul did the "calling on the name of the Lord," 
the taking hold of Jesus by prayer and promise. 



92 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

True prayer and an oath to do our duty have 
some affinities. In both the soul takes hold of 
its God with holy desires and purposes. 

Paul did this, and it was a thousand times 
more important in washing sins away, than the 
work of an Ananias or any priestly agency in 
the universe. 

This harmonizes with our Protestant theology. 
The work which one man can do for the salva- 
tion of another should be regarded as help or 
assistance. It may aid us grandly, but if it is 
an absolute necessity to it, then our Heaven is 
absolutely dependent on some things which 
other men can do for us. 

We prefer to believe that the exact work any 
one man can do for himself, involves every essen- 
tial condition of his salvation; while the cause 
— the procuring and efficient cause of his salva- 
tion — is found entirely in the Triune God. 

In the ordinances of the Church is there some- 
thing that is really essential? If so, we insist 
that it is the spiritual exercises of the person 
receiving the ordinances, and not the work of 
the minister or priest who handles the materials 
of the ordinance. The work of another may 
help us much, but I love to cherish the convic- 
tion that all the essential conditions of one's sal- 
vation are with himself, and all the saving 
efficacy is with the Redeemer. The Almighty, 
with my consent and co-operation, can make my 
Heaven sure. 



ROMANS. 



Ro. 6.— 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in 
sin, that grace may abound? 

2 Grod forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live 
any longer therein? 

3 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into 
Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into 
death ; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by 
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in 
newness of life. 

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness 
of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrec- 
tion. 

6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Mm, 
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth 
we should not serve sin. 

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

This is the only reference to baptism in the 
book of Romans. It is alluded to incidentally 
as a subordinate thought, while the leading 
theme is the death or destruction of our carnal- 
ity. Yet it is a sublimely important thought 
that can bear upon and promote so great an end. 
With the copy of the Bible now open before me 
to this passage, I need not turn a leaf to count 



94 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

the words ''death" and "dead" used eight times 
with the plain meaning, the destruction of sin] and 
on the same two pages are fifteen other words 
and phrases expressive of the same thought. 

Because of the spirituality of the work upon 
which Paul is treating, the reference to baptism, 
which, as we have seen, is always spiritual, 
whether by water or the Holy Ghost, is pecu- 
liarly relevant. We expect also to see here added 
fitness and beauty to the covenantal idea. 

''Shall we that are dead to sin live any longer 
therein?" Keep that word "dmd!" in mind. What 
is it that is dead? Not our physical body, but our 
carnality — "the body" (spiritual body) "of sin." 
How did it die ? Who has been blessed with its 
death ? And if dead, how has it been disposed of ? 

"Know ye not that so many of us" (exactly 
that number and those persons) "as were bap- 
tized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his 
death?'' 

'^Baptized into^ To or unto is equally as good 
as 'Hnto^^"^ and more in harmony with the usual 
translation of the Greek word "eis," as it is used 
in Romans. 

This word occurs one hundred and fifteen 
times in this letter, and is rendered "to" and 
"unto" forty-five times, and "in" and "into" 
only sixteen times. In five of those sixteen places 
there is no apparent choice between the two 
translations. Of the remaining eleven, three 



ROMANS. 95 



are in the above third and fourth verses; and 
we rather prefer the ^'to/' or ^^unto," although 
it is not essential to our main theory. 

'^Baptized into (or to) Christ'' — bound, cove- 
nanted to him, and hence covenanted or bound 
*'to his death." This fully explains w^hy we are 
"dead" — "dead to sin." As sure as Christ, cruci- 
fied on the cross, died bodily to save us, so sure 
is it that, having been bound by covenant to 
him and his death, and "crucified with him," 
all carnal affections died in us, and all that is 
dead is ready to be buried — yes, and in this case 
is ''buried,^^ as we shall learn in the next verse. 

"Therefore we are buried." The word "buried," 
here, in its root meaning, refers to the funeral 
services, whether by burning or burial. It has 
strict reference to the final putting away or dis- 
posal of the dead. Christ's dead body was put 
away — buried. Our carnal nature, which is 
dead, is also put away — "buried." 

There has been a difference of opinion as to 
the tense — whether *^are" or "were" has the best 
authority. This point is not essential. The 
burial is brought about in the same way, whether 
past or present. And by what means are or were 
we "buried with him"? The answer is plain. 
It is, ''by baptism to death." 

It is not by a plunge into water, even if we 
were plunged therein ; but it is our bond, or 
covenant, holding us to Christ — to the agony, if 



96 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

need be, of a death like his, and which promises 
all the merits of that death — first, to kill, and 
then bury, or put away, all our carnality. 

There is an additional fact, that is here ex- 
pressed. Baptism, which so interlinks us with 
Christ, buried him as well as us; for ^^buried 
with him by baptism" expresses this idea, that 
both Christ and ourselves are buried. 

This chimes in exactly with all that we have 
learned of the baptism of Jesus. His infallible 
oath to die, '^ to fulfill all righteousness,'^ this 
''baptism to death" straitened" him till it was 
finished. Thus, by baptism, Christ was killed 
and then buried. In the same way, and in 
blessed company and sympathy with him, our 
baptismal oath, if it holds and moves us, as his 
did him, and if it is faithfully kept as was his, 
will surely kill and bury, or put away, all that 
is carnal. 

The resemblance continues. After Christ was 
"dead" and "buried," he " was raised up from 
the dead by the glory of the Father. Even so 
we also [after the body of sin is dead and buried] 
should walk in newness of life." 

The analogy still goes on. 

"If we have been planted together." Sum- 
phiitos, here rendered "planted together," is also 
rendered "grown together" and closed, referring 
not so much to our being put together as that we 
stay together, like two scions of fruit, which, 



ROMANS. 97 



havingbeen grafted, remain so, giving the nature 
and condition of one to the other. 

Now, if thus we are together in the likeness 
of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of 
his resurrection." 

^'Knowing this, that our old man is crucified 
with him.'' Another mode of putting the same 
idea of a death to sin into words, "that the body 
of sin might be destroyed ; that henceforth we 
should not serve sin," thus getting back to the 
starting point, "that we should not live any 
longer in sin." 

Carnality is "dead," "buried," "crucified," 
"destroyed." Of course we are "freed from sin." 
And our baptismal bond or union to Christ" oc- 
casioned its death and burial, its crucifixion and 
destruction. 

We have thus given our views of the exact 
train of thought carried out in the above quota- 
tion. We know not what objections will be 
raised to them ; but we do claim for them some 
excellencies. And first, these views harmonize 
with all that we have learned of the spirituality 
of baptism. 

Again, they allow this reference to baptism to 
be, not an abrupt dodge away from the theme in 
hand, but in perfect harmony with this whole 
section, and also the general scope of thought in 
the entire book of Romans. 
7— 



98 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

Finally, we avoid the inconsistency of calling 
that ^^buried''^ which is still alive, and that, too, 
which we do not wish to kill. This is alJ the 
more favorable to our view from the fact that 
the Greek word Thapto^ from which comes the 
word bury, was more apt to suggest to the Roman 
an entombment or burning than a covering up with 
dirt. 

SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE. 

For a very able and extended treatise on this 
paragraph, harmonizing, I think, in the main 
with our theory, but carrying it out more fully 
and clearly, we refer the reader to Bishop Mer- 
rill's late work on "Christian Baptism." 

Perhaps I ought to state that I had written 
this entire volume before that work appeared. 
Hence no more references to it. I was about to 
send the manuscript to a publisher when I 
learned that his work was in press. I delayed 
awhile in order to see its contents and watch its 
influence. Still longer have I delayed in order 
to see how 1 should regard my own work after 
much added meditation. 



Eo. 6. — IT But God be thanked, that ye were the ser- 
vants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form 
of doctrine which was delivered you. 

We place this verse among our notes, not be- 
cause of the bearing it really has upon our 



EOMANS. 99 



theme, but because of the peculiar emphasis we 
have heard given to it in an appeal for a specific 
mode of baptism. The verse expresses grati- 
tude for their obedience to the very things 
preached or delivered to the hearers. After 
reading all the words of Jesus and Paul and the 
rest of the Bible, and listening to the utterances 
of the majority of our pulpits, the text, repeated, 
ought to enjoin upon us mainly the duty of re- 
pentance^ faith^ charity and earnest work for human 
welfare. All the more pity for the audiences, 
from whose pulpits, when uttered, it seems only 
to mean, '''Be immersed ! be immersed ! ! " 

The real and assumed use of this text reminds 
me of a scriptural lesson which I heard read 
from one of those same pulpits, and the use they 

tried to put it to. The lesson was the last part 
of the Sermon on the Mount. As the preacher 
read, "He that heareth these sayings of mine 
AND doeththem;'' and again, "He that heareth 
these sayings of mine and doeth them not," 
the peculiar expression and look of the preacher, 
and nod of some of his hearers, showed clearly 
that they regarded the words as a tremendous 
blow to those of us who had not obeyed their 
doctrine of immersion. 

Yet, how different the real meaning of those 
words, as they close up a sermon of such lofty 
spirituality and blameless morality — a sermon, 
in one respect, totally unlike any one I ever 
heard from that pulpit, in that it began, and pro- 
gressed, and ended, without one single reference 
to the ordinance of baptism ! 



I. CORINTHIANS 



I. Cor. 1. — 12 Now, this I say, that every one of you 
saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; 
and I of Christ. 

13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or 
were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 

14 I thank G-od that I baptized none of you, but Crispus 
and Gains ; 

15 Lest any of you should say that I had baptized in 
mine own name. 

16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas; 
besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 

17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the 
gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ 
should be made of none effect. 

Paul is rebuking the Church at Corinth for 
their sins. Petty dissensions and divisions, and 
too much ado over leaders, often go hand in 
hand. 

''Is Christ divided f^ A rebuke for divisions. 
There is enough of Christ to be the "Chief of 
every loving group in the universe. But it is 
impossible to divide him, and give quarrelsome 
groups a part. 



CORINTHIANS. 101 



"Was Paul crucified for you ?" The first re- 
buke for an undue regard of men. We had bet- 
ter look to JesuSj saying — 

' 'I've none but thee in Heaven above, 

Or on this empty ball." 

How true to modesty and good sense that Paul 
singled out his pet friends, and chided them, 
rather than the admirers of Apollos and Cephas. 

''Or, were ye baptized in the name of Paul f Sec- 
ond form of rebuke for special partiality to Paul. 
How pertinent the covenantal idea! Did you 
bind yourselves to cleave to Paul? Are you 
vowed to Paul or to Jesus ? 

To baptize unto man is possible. The next 
passage to be noted is a specimen (I. Cor. 10: 
1-2) ; and in that it was all right, but here it 
would have been all wrong. And Paul is glad 
to deny the charge, and, in denying it, expresses 
his views very plainly concerning the relative 
importance of baptism and preaching. 

"I thank God that I baptized none of you but 
Crispus and Gains. '^ This refers, of course, only 
to Corinth. The next verse gives the reason 
why he was thankful : 

''Lest any should say," etc. Yet, the reason 
would not be sufficient fco account for this grati- 
tude, i/ Paul had regarded their salvation, or 
even their regular church communion, depend- 
ent upon their baptism. 



102 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

The sixteenth verse seems to be a correction 
resulting from an after-thought. Xor is Paul 
yet certain whether he ''baptized any other'' 
except ''the household of Stephanas." Wonder- 
fully forgetful was that great mind concerning 
the central idea of a modern ''Christian church! '' 

"For Christ sent me not to baptize^ hut to preach the 
Gos-peL'' This plainly expresses the fact that 
with Paul preaching was his peculiar duty. It 
harmonizes well with the "woe is me if I preach 
not." The ''necessity is laid" on him to preach 
the Gospel. Baptism and everything else is 
subordinate to this one idea of his sublime life. 
Is this the feeling of all who stand in the mod- 
ern pulpit? 

I, Cor. 10. — 1 Moreover, brethren. I would not that ye 
should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the 
cloud, and all passed through the sea ; 

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in 
the sea. 

Paul urges continued faithfulness. Having 
started well, we should "so run that we may ob- 
tain." The Israelites started well, yet ''many of 
them were overthrown in the wilderness." 

••'All our fathers were under the cloud, and all 
passed through the sea." 

"And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and 
in the sea/'^ This verse will bear close study. It 
is a specimen of condensed history, such as Paul 



CORINTHIANS. 103 



often gives. Its more specific outline in Exodus, 
fourteenth chapter, will help to unfold its full 
meaning. There we learn of the strange ^'cloud/' 
Hight to the camp of Israel," but '^darh to the 
Egyptians." 

We shall also learn that the Lord "made the 
sea dry." Made it so in accordance to a com- 
mand and promise to Moses. 

"Lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thine 
hand over the sea, and divide it : and the chil- 
dren of Israel shall go on dry ground through the 
midst of the sea." And in another verse that "the 
children of Israel walked upon dry land in the 
midst of the sea." 

There is no evidence that a drop of water 
touched the Israelites from the cloud or the sea. 
It is certain that there was no immersing there, 
until "the waters returned and covered the char- 
iots and the horsemen and all the hosts of Pha- 
roah." Why then the statement concerning our 
fathers, that they "were all baptized unto Moses?" 
The last verse of the chapter alluded to states : 
"And Israel saw that great work which the Lord 
did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared 
the Lord, and believed the Lord and his servant 
Moses." 

Now we can understand the text. The mir- 
acle of "cloud" and "sea," wrought by the power 
of God and instrumentality of Moses, made them 
for the time cleave by faith to God as their Ruler, 



104 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

and to Moses as their leader. This was their 
consecration to Moses, their covenant or oath of 
allegiance to him as commander or leader of their 
hosts. It was a dry^ yet real^ baptism. This is 
another text which forces upon the word a spir- 
itual meaning. It is an unnatural and unauthor- 
ized assumption to say that they were sprinkled 
or poured in the name of Moses, by that sea or 
cloud of light. It is equally so to think of their 
immersion into that cloud ; and it is simply con- 
tradicting the record of Exodus to say that they 
were immersed in the sea. Three times the 
word ''dry" is used, in plain contrast to such an 
assumption. 



I. Cor. 12. — 13 For by one Spirit are we aU baptized into 
one body, whether we he Jews or G-entiles, whether we he 
bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one 
Spirit. 

Again Paul pleads for unity. The context 
proves that the "one body" here named is ''the 
body of Christ," or "the church." 

Its spirituality is also clearly proven. "The 
manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man 
to profit withal." Many of the things given are 
then designated "wisdom," "word of knowledge," 
"faith," etc., etc. By what process can we belong 
to this body? Our text answers, "By one Spirit 
are we all baptized into" it. 



CORINTHIANS. 105 



Not by human hands. All they can do is 
useless, unless the Holy Spirit attends the ordi- 
nance. If to the ceremony there is a reference, 
it is to the ceremony where the Spirit attends in 
all its saving power. But the tense seems to 
take all thought away from the ceremony to the 
baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is the present tense. 

Are we thus baptized? Then, be we ^'Jew or 
Gentile," Baptist or Methodist, ^'bond or free," 
we have been '*made to drink into one Spirit." 



I. Cor. 15. — 29 Else what shall they do which are bap- 
tized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they 
then baptized for the dead? 

Paul is arguing the resurrection of the human 
body and the immortality of our entire nature. 
This sublime fact of a future life explains our 
baptismal oath, making its rigid severity appear 
perfectly harmonious with our destiny. 

We have already seen that this covenant is too 
sacred to be broken, even to save life. The bap- 
tism of Jesus was unto death. Of the children 
of Zebedee the same was required. The whole 
army of martyrs have actually died rather than 
sever the holy bond of their consecration to 
Jesus. 

Now what shall they do which are thus bap- 
tized if the dead rise not? If there be no resur- 
rection, no future life, binding men to the con- 



106 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

dition of the dead or to death is binding them 
to annihilation or real nothingness ; but if there 
be a reality in the future life, the case is totally 
difiFerent. 

The words ^'the dead,'' in many places, refer 
to a condition rather than to persons, and the 
word death, in their place, would express their 
meaning quite as well. 

''Whom he raised from the dead,^' i. e., from 
death. Over forty such examples could be cited 
in the New Testament. Make the substitution 
here, and the question is perfectly plain, and 
this "most difficult verse of the New Testa- 
ment" is difficult no longer. 

What shall they do that are baptized [cove- 
nanted] for [unto] death, if the dead rise not at 
all? Why are they then baptized for death, 
bound or sworn so rigidly that they must die 
rather than desert their post? The baptismal 
oath to obey requires us to "fear not them that 
can kill the body." Resurrection and life to 
come make this requirement reasonable. 



GALATIANS. 



Gal. 3. — 27 For as many of you as have been baptized 
into Christ have put on Christ. 

This is one of many verses which force upon 
the word baptize an elevated, spiritual meaning. 
Note well the language : "For as many of you 
as have been baptized into Christ have put on 
Christ." 

They who "have put on Christ," and they 
only, " have been baptized " truly. Such are 
they who consecrated all — covenanted all to Christ. 

The expression, '' have been baptized into 
Christ," must comprehend something deeper than 
the visible ceremony. If in this verse it be re- 
garded as the equivalent of " have been 
sprinkled," or, "have been immersed," then we 
simply know the statement of the last sentence 
could never have been in the Book of Truth. 

It is absolutely certain that some can be found 
in all of the churches, who have been sprinkled 
or immersed "in the name of the Father and of 
the Son and of the Holy Ghost," who never did 
*^put on Christ." Yet, all who give themselves 
to God, heartily renouncing "the world, the flesh 
and the devil," resolving faithfully to do every 
duty, do really and truly put on Christ. Such, 
and only such, "have been baptized into Christ." 



EPHESIANS, 



Eph. 4. — 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism. 

The general scope of thought in this connec- 
tion bears upon the unifying principles of our 
holy religion. It is not like those which have 
*'Lords many and God's many." It proclaims 
^^one God and Father of all." Hence all the race 
are brothers. There is also ^^one faith" uniting 
us all to Christ ; and, hence, to each other. 

There is "one baptism." One real, grand cov- 
enant, binding us each and all to the pathway 
of duty. If we are plunged forward or back- 
ward, once or thrice, or sprinkled with a few 
drops, or poured with many as we take that cov- 
enant, still it is the same, all-binding obligation, 
holding the faithful where God can bless them, 
hour by hour, with the fullness of the Holy 
Spirit. 

Although, in ordinary conception, baptism 
with water, and baptism with the Holy Ghost, 
seem like tv^o, yet, really they are but two parts 
of the same covenanting process, the alpha and 
omega, the beginning and ending of one bargain. 



EPHESIANS. 109 

In the first, duty and blessings are promised ; in 

the last the duty is done, and the blessings are j 

given. 1 

This text has been brought forward to con- 
demn the usages of those who practice different 
modes. Those who use it thus, thereby prove 
that in their thoughts, the materiality of the ] 

ordinance is more prominent than the spiritual- | 

ity. I 



COLOSSIANS. 



Col. 2. — 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the 
circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of 
the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ : 

12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen 
with Mm through the faith of the operation of God, who 
hath raised him from the dead. 

This clause resembles the one in Romans, 
sixth chapter. Its exposition is in the same 
way. There is here additional evidence that we 
were correct in our view of the spirituality of 
that which is expressed by the word ^^buried." 
We there argued that it referred to the final put- 
ting away — whether by burning, entombing or 
covering up that which was dead ; and that it 
was the carnal nature that had been destroyed, 
which was buried. 

^'Circumcised with the circumcision made 
without hands." This surely is a spiritual pro- 
cess. It is the Spirit of God accomplishing that 
which circumcision prefigured, viz : ^The put- 
ting off the body of the sins of the flesh." 

This harmonizes with Romans 6 : 2 — "dead to 
sin" — and with the idea of burying or putting 
away that which is dead. ''The body of the sins" 



COLOSSIANS. Ill 



are thus ''put off/' or away, by the "circum- 
cision of Christ." Christ is our circumcision, 
separating our sins from us as "far as the east 
from the west." 

The same thought is now repeated in another 
form. 

"Buried with him in baptism.^^ In the last verse 
spiritual circumcision puts away sin. Here, 
baptism does the same work. In or by it our 
total, former, sinful self — ''the body of the sins 
of the flesh" — is "put off" and %uriedJ^ 

The keeping of the baptismal covenant, both 
on our part and especially on the divine part, 
has accomplished this blessed result. Thus we 
ascribe the principle work expressed by the 
word "buried'^ and that expressed by "risen" to 
the same divine power — "the operation of God." 
This corresponds with the language of the 
verse. 



HEBREAATS. 



Heb. 6. — 1 Therefore, leaving the principles of the doc- 
trine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying 
again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and 
of faith toward G-od, 

2 Of the doctrine of baptism, and of laying on of hands, 
and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 

We insert this quotation that all the New 
Testament referring to this subject may be be- 
fore us. It proves that there is a ^^doctrine" 
connected with ^^baptisms." What that is other 
verses of the Bible must decide. Already this 
book is nearly filled with them. 



Heb. 9. — 10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and 
divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them 
until the time of reformation. 

"Divers washings." Baptisms is the oripjinal. 
This may refer to the ceremonial or traditional 
customs of the Jews, to the modes of cleansing 
which originated by divine authority, as did the 
washing of the priests at the door of the temple 
(Ex. 29), or by Jewish custom, as probably did 
the hand-washings or baptisms before meals, 



HEBREWS. 113 



which Christ seemed to esteem lightly (Mark 7.) 
Among one class of these baptisms, or ^^carnal 
ordinances" may be embraced ''the blood of bulls 
and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling 
the unclean," mentioned in the thirteenth verse 
of this chapter. Be these ceremonies what the}^ 
may, they stand vastly inferior to ''the blood of 
Christ," to "purge" or purify "the conscience 
from dead works." (See 14th verse.) 



Heb. 10. — 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full 
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil 
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 

"It is unexegetical with Alford and others, to 
find here a distinct allusion to baptism. The 
thought is not of a material body literally washed 
with water, any more than of a material heart 
literally sprinkled. ^ * ♦ The heart is here 
spiritually sprinkled, as the image of interior 
purity ; the body spiritually washed, is the im- 
age of eternal rectitude of life." 

I insert approvingly the above comment by 
Dr. Whedon. 



8— 



L PETER 



I. Pet. 3. — 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, 
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to Grod, 
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 

19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits 
in prison ; 

20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the 
long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the 
ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were 
saved by water. 

21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also 
now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, 
but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ: 

The covenantal idea gets new proof from this 
passage, and sheds new light upon it. 

"Christ, * * * by the Spirit, * * * went 
and preached unto the spirits in prison." The 
flood prospective placed the race who lived with 
Noah "in prison." They were all hedged in, 
soon to be executed, unless rescued. Then the 
blessed Savior, by the Spirit^ went and preached. 
That we locate the time and place correctly, no- 
tice, that it was "ivhen the long-sufiering of God 
waited," and ivhile the arh was a preparing, wherein 
few, that is eight, souls were saved by water." 



I. PETER. 115 



'^By water." This expression conveys to 
my mind the idea of time of water, or period 
of water, as by day or by night refers to the 
time or period of day or night. It was the 
ark with God's blessing that saved the eight. 
AH the rest of the race were sprinkled, and 
poured, and immersed, and killed. And then 
"few, that is, eight souls, were saved." 

A little reflection on the several steps in their 
salvation will reveal to us the very way that 

'^Baptism doth also now save us." 

First. Christ by the spirit preached, strove 
with them. 

Second. One family, or Noah as the represent- 
ative of the family, covenanted with the Lord. 
(See Gen. 6 : 14.) "Make thee an ark," etc., de- 
scribing it. Then (verse 18), "With thee will I 
establish my covenant." The family and ani- 
mals are to be brought in "to keep them alive." 
Noah pledges to build ; God pledges to save them 
alive. 

Third. Noah hept his pledge, spite of the ridi- 
cule, and temptation, and toil it cost him. Read 
Gen. 6 : 26 : . "Thus did Noah ; according to all 
that God commanded him, so did he." Twice 
repeated is the all-important fact that Noah 
"did" keep his pledge. 

Fourth, and finally. In keeping that pledge, 
and building that ark, and receiving God's 
blessing — a blessing sure to rest on all covenant- 



116 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

keepers — he, and all with him, float in safety- 
above a drowning, dying world. This agrees 
with the language in Hebrew 11 : 7 — ^^By faith 
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen 
as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the 
saving of his house." Can divine history show 
us in plainer words that the condition of salva- 
tion to the favored ^^eight" was the making, and 
especially the keeping, of their covenant with 
God? 

We have already had occasion to notice that 
baptism, as a present reality, is the keeping of 
our vows and receiving the blessings of God. 
Mark the tense, *^doth now save." The baptism 
that doth save is Holy Ghost blessings on faith- 
ful men. 

^'Not the putting away of the filth of the 
flesh." This refers to the ceremony. The ex- 
pression is appropriate, whether it be by the 
more usual mode of sprinkling, or the more lit- 
eral mode of plunging or washing. The text 
assures us that it is not this which saves ; and, 
thinking of the entire history and the very 
spirit of the Bible, I feel certain that it is not 
the covenant-mafcmg', so much as the covenant- 
heeping that saved the eight and will save us. 
Where would Noah have been, had he failed to 
finish the ark? Where will we be if we fail to 
renounce the world, the flesh and the devil, and 
fail to keep God's holy commandments ? 



I. PETER. 117 



That we, like the eight, are saved by keeping 
our covenant, still further appears by the pecu- 
liar expression of the next sentence : 

"The answer of a good conscience toward God." 

This line beautifully and forcibly conveys to 
our minds the two ideas referred to : — the doing 
our duty, and receiving God's blessing. 

"A good conscience towards God," hears a call, 
majestic as the voice of Jehovah, to do all earthly 
duties, especially our covenanted ones. Duty- 
doing is the response, "the answer." A good con- 
science, looking up toward God, calls out with all 
the deep, deathless yearnings of our immortality 
for the approval of the eternal. Duty'doing^ and 
nothing else in the universe will bring back 
from the throne the true "answer." This, con- 
ditionally, saved the eight. Thus we may be 
saved. 



I. JOHN 



I. John 5. — 6 This is he that came by water and blood, 
even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and 
blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because 
the Spirit is truth. 

7 For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the 
Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost ; and these three are 
one. 

7 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the 
spirit, and the water, and the blood ; and these three agree 
in one. 

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God 
is greater ; for this is the witness of God which he hath tes- 
tified of his son. 

Before the writer's mind there seeras to have 
arisen the question, "Are we the children of 
God?" If so, we have a victory that overcometh 
the world/' The fifth verse sounds like a chal- 
lenge to show a single individual ''that over- 
cometh the world, but he that is born of God." 

The question of our approval before God sug- 
gests another. Was that Jesus in whom we 
trust ''the Christ," the true Messiah? The wit- 
ness of His acceptance, and of ours^ are the two 
prominent thoughts before us. Other ideas are 
more or less subordinate to these. 



I. JOHN. 119 



'This is He that came by water and blood 
[baptism and death], even Jesus Christ, * ^ * 
and it is the Spirit that beareth witness." It 
bore witness at His baptism. The "voice ;" the 
"dove." There were abundant attestations at 
His death. Even the fact of His death, viewed 
in its relation to His baptism, was a witness to 
His all-righteous integrity. It fulfilled His bap- 
tismal pledge. Though bitter was the cup He 
drank it. He became "obedient to death, even 
the death of the c^oss," thereby receiving the 
highest possible approval, even "a name that is 
above every name." 

The genuineness of the seventh verse is called 
In question. It is not found in the majority of 
ancient manuscripts. It is not important to our 
Notes whether we accept or reject it. Nor is it 
to our theology. The doctrine of a Trinity will 
stand, whether John wrote that verse or not— 
"And there are three that bear witness in earth." 

^^The Spirit^ Comforting us, assuring us of 
God's favor. "The Spirit itself beareth witness 
with our spirit." 

"•The water.^^ Baptismal water should be a 
witness. It is, if the minister is true to duty, 
and makes no mistakes as to the proper subjects, 
baptizing only the good, or those seeking good- 
ness. 

'•^ThehloodJ'^ is also a witness. It is the ulti- 
mate witness, used by or pointed to with the 



120 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

other witnesses. The Spirit uses all its merits. 
The water points to its merits. 

"JTn eartK'^ these all bear witness. Here, the 
Comforter has come to abide, even to the end of 
time. Here, too, the baptismal water is used. 
Here, take the vows of eternal union to God the 
Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. 

^^Thehlood,^^ too, is for the dwellers on earth. 
Here, it was shed. Here — not in eternity — it 
must wash away sins. 

The two lines of thought concerning the wit- 
nesses to Christ the Redeemer, and to Christians, 
the redeemed, suggest other resemblances. 

With Christ, his baptism looked towards his 
death. Our baptism looks to the merits of the 
same death. With Christ, his death, his blood, 
was the glory, the climax of his baptism. It 
accomplished it. With us, that blood applied is 
the glory, the climax of our baptism. 

At Christ's baptism, the voice and the Spirit 
would never have borne witness, had they not 
seen the blood prospectively flowing. Without 
that shed blood the Holy Spirit would never 
witness to a sinner saved. Christ, by keeping 
his baptismal vow, perfected his earthly work, 
and was welcomed to "the joy set before him." 
We, by keeping our vows, shall finish our work 
and go "sweeping through the gates, washed in 
the blood of the Lamb.'' 



I. JOHN. 121 



^''IJ we receive the witness of men,'''' Here, the 
water of baptism is alluded to. If it is applied to 
us, it is applied by men, authorized, it is pre- 
sumed, or we would spurn them ; yet, men they 
are, and the water applied by them may be only 
the witness of men. It surely would be, if used 
on those who are not, either, already of the king- 
dom, like Christ, and little children, and the 
Gentile converts, or seeking a place in the king- 
dom as were those mentioned in Acts 2: 37, who 
cried, ^^Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 
In short, water applied without the divine sanc- 
tion is only the witness of men. To trust in its 
application, or in anything that men can do 
for our salvation, is utter folly and delusion. 
Therefore, let all who have received the witness 
of men, remember that ^'The witness of God is 
greater.^'' "The witness of God" is the Holy 
Spirit applying to us the merits of the blood, 
and assuring us of our acceptance with God. 

^' Greater y Men may err. The Spirit is truth. 
Men cannot always detect hypocricy. "The 
Spirit searcheth all things.^' Men may baptize 
an unbeliever whose words profess faith, while 
his heart is enmity towards God. But the wit- 
ness of the Spirit will never bless such a person. 
"Greater," for it is the completion of our bap- 
tism by water. It is as much greater as was the 
sacrificial death of Christ, fulfilling all righteous- 
ness greater than the vow by which he promised 
to fulfill. 



REVELATION 



Kev. 19 — 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped 
in blood : and his name is called The Word of Grod. 

"Dipped^^ is the same in the original as the 
word "baptized." The word is not used cere- 
monially. It is the "vesture," or garment, and 
not a person, that is said to be baptized. Were 
we disposed to add a controversial word, we 
should insist that His vesture, w^hether stained 
or drenched, was baptized — not by immersing or 
plunging it into the blood, but by the blood fall- 
ing upon it, shed from hands, and side, and 
brow. 

This is the only time the word is used in 
Revelation. So, we here terminate our Textual 
Notes. We are glad to be brought here in sight 
of the Cross. Nor are we less glad because we 
behold, not a baptismal ceremony, but the blood 
which stained the vesture, and the Cross of Cal- 
vary, and can make stainless all the world be- 
side. 



REVELATION. 123 



Dear reader, looking to that blood, bending 
before that Cross, and worshipping that Dying 
Victim, let us reaffirm with infinite emphasis 
our life-long covenant. 

"Here at the cross where flows the blood 
That bought my guilty soul for God, 
Thee my new Master now I call, 
And consecrate to Thee my all. " 

"Thine would I live, Thine would I die; 
Be Thine through all eternity ; 
The vow is past beyond repeal, 
And now I set the solemn seal. " 



BAPTISM OF JESUS, 



We have already given our views upon this 
subject, classifying it with all other true bap- 
tisms in its covenantal character.* 

It differs as differs the one making the cove- 
nant and the peculiar work to be done by Him. 
It is His pledge to fulfill all righteousness, His 
solemn consecration to the Messiahship, His 
covenant to redeem our race. There is in it not 
only a resemblance to our baptism with water, 
but also some resemblance to Holy Ghost bap- 
tism. Here the Holy Ghost, which invisibly 
visits the truly consecrated, now visibly appears, 
and God, the Father, who always approves, 
though usually in spirit-like silence, now audi- 
bly cries out, ^This is my beloved Son, in whom 
I am well pleased.^t 

It seems to me that the baptism of Jesus 
should so modify our views as to make us regard 
baptism as the sign of any favor received by the 
proper subject of the ordinance. 

-See notes in Mat. 3: 13-14 ; 20: 20-23. Luke 12 : 50. 

t"This gift [Holy Spirit] only honoured John's baptism once, in 
the extraordinary case of the baptism of our Lord."— Watson's 
Inst., page 627, Vol. 2. 



BAPTISM OF JESUS. 125 

This is scarcely a departure, for our "articles 
of religion" call it "a sign of regeneration, or 
the new birth." 

Watson carries out the import of the ordi- 
nance, claiming that it is also a sign "of the 
placability of God to man," "of peculiar relation 
to God," of 'Hhe Holy Spirit in his fullness upon 
all believers," and "of the eflFusion ^of the power 
from on high.' "* 

Let the water of baptism be regarded as the 
sign of divine favor or of blessings, and the 
baptism of Jesus, and the purified Gentile, and 
the infant, and the penitent, are each and all 
harmonious and consistent. 

Recently a friend told me that he heard a high 
churchman state that Christ must have sinned, 
as baptism was always a sign of regeneration ! 

Our good Dr. Hibbard, starting from the same 
premises, reaches a far more reverential conclu- 
sion. He declares that "Christ's baptism did 
not partake of the nature of Christian baptism ;" 
for * * * <'as a sign it [baptism] witnesseth 
to our inward washing and regeneration by the 
Holy Ghost, which, from the nature of the case, 
presupposes defilement by sin. Remove the idea 
of antecedent pollution by sin, and you anni- 
hilate the grand intent of baptism as a sign."t 

-Inst., Vol. 2, page 626. 

tHibbard on Bap., part 2, pa?es 33 and 34. 



126 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

Having ruled out the baptism of Jesus from 
among ordinary baptisms, and assuming that in 
it Christ fulfilled '^all righteousness," never once 
thinking that in it He merely ^'covenanted to 
fulfill all righteousness," the Doctor's next step 
is "to ascertain what law then in vogue required 
the Savior to be baptized." This was a very diflS.- 
cult task. Let us hear the conclusion : ''If we 
examine the whole code of Moses, we shall find 
no law that required J^sus to be baptized at 
this particular juncture, but the law enjoining 
and regulating priestly consecration, recorded in 
Exodus 29th, and Leviticus, 8th chapter." 

We insert the reference to Leviticus, 8th chap- 
ter, 5th to 7th verses : 

"And Moses said unto the congregation, 'This 
is the thing which the Lord commanded to be 
done.' And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, 
and washed them with water. And he put on 
him the coat, and girded him," etc., etc. 

If there is no law but this, then I fail to see 
anj'- law or propriety in the baptism of Jesus. 
The command of God to Noah to build an ark is 
about as direct a command to John to baptize 
Jesus, as is this command to Moses to wash 
"Aaron and his sons." 

The impropriety^ the inconsistency of this cere- 
monial washing of One who was always pure, is 
the strongest objection to this long accepted 
view of our church. 



BAPTISM OF JESUS. 127 

That washing indicated previous defilement^ now to 
be put away. This priestly purification is no 
more appropriate to Jesus Christ than would be 
an ordinary baptism, even if baptism were 
always a sign of regeneration. This reasoning 
cannot be evaded by saying that He had a human 
as well as divine nature, for His human nature 
was stainless. It was the second Adam, but 
unlike the first Adam, it maintained its perfect, 
unfallen integrity. 

We urge a much milder but real objection to 
this view of Christ's baptism. He was not an 
earthly priest, only at the closing drama of His 
life. His priestly work began when He made 
an offering of Himself for us — when His body 
was broken, and the veil of the Jewish temple 
was rent in twain. Ever since. He has been the 
world's only priest, but not on earth. Soon the 
everlasting doors of the upper temple opened to 
receive Him, and there ''He abideth, a priest for- 
ever." 

The transaction recorded in Mat. 21: 12, where 
"Jesus went into the temple of God and cast out 
all them that sold and bought in the temple, 
and overthrew the tables of the money- 
changers,'' is the one cited to prove his earthly 
priesthood. This was truly a sublime illustra- 
tion of His divine authority and power, daring 
to enter the temple of Jehovah, and dictate who 



128 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

shall be there and what they shall do ; but this 
was not an ordinary priestly act. 

It was much more like the Judge of all men 
ordering the ungodly to their merited doom, 
than like an appointed agent offering sacrifices 
for their reconciliation to God. Our view gives 
equally as good, perhaps a better, reason why (to 
use the language of Dr. Hibbard) "He evidently 
appealed to John's baptism for a vindication of 
the authority He had exercised.'' 

Let me italicize the above word '^authority^'^^ and 
this sentence is perfectly expressive of our view. 
His authority as the ^'Son of God" — as the "One 
mightier" than John, and not only mightier 
than John, but mightier than any and all of the 
regularly installed priestly managers of that 
Jewish temple — all this He needed to establish, 
in order to vindicate His doings on that occa- 
sion. All this His appeal did establish in the 
mind and heart of all who admit that "the bap- 
tism of John" was "from Heaven," and not "of 
men." 

The age of Jesus at His baptism — "about 
thirty years" — does not harmonize well with 
the view that He was baptized as our example. 
This fact, of itself, is not against the idea of its 
being a priestly purification and consecration. 
Nor is it out of harmony with the claim that 
His baptism was His pledge to do all the work 
of the suffering Savior. If the only issue was 



BAPTISM OF JESUS. 129 

between our theory and the theory that it was 
for an example, we could appropriately urge the 
fact as an argument on our side. 

At eight days old, by parental covenant, He 
had been consecrated to the only Heaven-ap- 
proved religion that was on earth, prior to His 
public work; and now, just as He enters upon 
the work which is to introduce and establish the 
new dispensation, how appropriate, how becom- 
ing the covenant of its grand fulfillment ! 

This theory explains, as we have already seen, 
why His baptism was a present fact through all 
His life — a fact interwoven with all His suffer- 
ings — or, rather, binding all those sufferings to 
His great heart, leading Him to cry, ^'How am 
I straitened till it be accomplished !" 

Whether our views shall be received or not, it 
is evident that our best thinkers have not been 
thoroughly satisfied with the more usual theories 
advanced. 

Dr. Hibberd himself says: ^^We are under no 
obligation, from the posture of the controversy, 
to prove what was the real character of His bap- 
tism. We do not profess to know positively." 
* * * Later, he uses words that I would like 
to make my own : ^'Should our views of the 
subject prove unsatisfactory to any, let us not 
therefor be faulted."* 

"'•Part II., page 32, Hibbard on Bap. 
—9 



130 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

But the careful student will observe that 
these views are vital to the entire subject as 
here treated. From His baptism we get our 
idea of its spirituality. His w^ords furnished us 
our reliable dictionary to define that spirituality. 
His baptism gives tone to our view of its import 
as a sign. Other important points are to follow ; 
and is it not favorable to our views, that, by 
them, we are enabled to place His baptism, and 
His words thereon, in this central, lofty position ? 

Some valuable lessons are drawn from the ad- 
mission that the baptism of Jesus is, in its cen- 
tral features, like ourow^n — lessons harmonizing 
with the views of some of the churches, and 
instructive to the views of others. 

And, first, baptism may be administered to 
such as are already, or even long ago, good 
enough for Heaven. Jesus was always fit for 
Heaven. He was of the Kingdom by virtue 
of His own pure nature. He w^as not baptized 
to bring Him into the Kingdom. Infants and 
children, not by nature, yet by grace, are of the 
Kingdom. They are not baptized to get them 
into the Kingdom or into Heaven. They are of 
the Kingdom with or without baptism. They 
will go to Heaven, with or without baptism.* 

Again, and in harmony with this, baptism is 
not always and uniformly -'for the remission of 
sins." 

*See more of this note in the next Note. 



BAPTISM OF JESUS. 131 

If I understand the theory of a young, yet 
large and growing organization, who insist on 
being called "The Christian Church,^^ they claim 
that baptism is always, by divine appointment^ 
linked with conversion ; that it is one of the 
essential tests of our submission to the terms of 
salvation, instituted and practiced for the one only 
purpose of obtaining remission of sins and a 
transfer from the condition of an alien to that 
of a citizen. With my eye upon the baptism of 
Jesus, I protest most earnestly and persistently 
against this theory. I know they will tell me 
that His baptism was an example for us to fol- 
low. But He was never an example concerning 
that which the sinful, and only the sinful, need 
to do. His example was always in the path of 
goodness. He never traveled one step of that 
road leading from sinfulness to sinlessness. All 
along that entire track His words, and not His 
deeds, are the sinner's only guide. He never 
repented. He never confessed a sin. He never 
made restitution. He never prayed for pardon. 
Such an act would have been worse than human 
hypocricy. It would have been absolutely sui- 
cidal to His claim of divinity. Equally revolt- 
ing would it have been for him to have submit- 
ted to an ordinance which has no other design 
than "the remission of sins." 

That the baptism of Jesus, which that church 
has always admitted, and for which they have 



132 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

contended, had not long ago corrected their 
theory of baptism is, to my mind, proof positive 
that they have been far more studious about its 
outer seeming than its deeper meaning. 

Again, thinking of the baptism of Jesus, I do 
not like the idea that baptism is always the door 
into the church. Was Jesus once out of the 
church? Did John initiate Him into it? Was 
the regular church membership of the eternal 
''Son of God" contingent upon the act of a finite 
being? 

If the old question is again raised : why an 
inferior should baptize a superior, our theory 
gives a key to its solution. 

A chief justice, of humble ability, might ad- 
minister the oath to a president elect, if one could 
be chosen, possessed of all the mental and moral 
worth of every patriot that ever lived ! 

If His baptism was becoming, it must have 
been of such a nature that an inferior could 
officiate, for His ''name is above every name,^' 



INFANT BAPTISM. 



It is not so much to argue this subject, as to 
show its relation to the views here presented, 
that this note is appended. 

It is only in the light of a covenant that in- 
fant baptism can be consistently practiced and 
defended. And the parent or sponsor must bear 
for years the entire burden of one side of the 
covenant. The right of the parent to covenant 
for the child, has been fully established by laws, 
ancient and modern, sacred and secular. The 
law of circumcision is a well-known illustration. 
So of the right to bind a child to work for an- 
other, or to learn a trade. In these cases parents 
are allowed to covenant for their children. 
Though the child may not ratify the pledge and 
fulfill its terms, when he shall grow up, yet this 
ajQfects not the parent's right to bind him. In 
a high spiritual sense, the child's personal bap- 
tism is not fully completed until, in maturer 
years, he stands devoutly at the door of the 
church, and takes upon himself ''the solemn 
promise contained in the baptismal covenant. 



134 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

ratifying and confirming the same, and acknowl- 
edging himself bound faithfully to observe and 
keep that covenant.''* 

It certainly need not lessen the force or mar 
the beauty of this covenant, for the child to re- 
member that a loving parent dared to bear it 
upon his own soul, in behalf of the child, long 
before the child bowed beneath its holy obliga- 
tions. 

And we ask no better proof that God has re- 
membered his part of the covenant, than we 
have in the fact that now the child seeks a home 
in the church, gladly honoring his parents, by 
making their former vow in his behalf hence- 
forth literally his own. 

Quite as interesting to the masses is the ques- 
tion of THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR BAPTISM. 

I have no desire to modify or recall an opinion 
already expressed, that everything essential to 
salvation has been made very plain in our Bible. 
I believe that no student of average ability ever 
did or ever will fail to find in that book all that 
is necessary for his own safety, and the safety of 
those under his especial control. Most earnestly 
do I reject a theory from which would follow the 
awful conclusion, that thousands of Baptist Bible 
students are still in a darkness that puts their 
children into eternal danger. I do believe that 

^Discipline M. E. Ch., ^ 594.— For some analogy between bap- 
tized children and thoughtlessly baptized adults, see Final Note. 



INFANT BAPTISM. 135 



our Bible would have made infant baptism in- 
disputably plain, if it had been infinitely im- 
portant. But, mark well this fact : While all 
important duties are plainly enjoined, all sins 
are as plainly forbidden. If the Author of our 
Bible had regarded infant baptism with one 
fractional part of the disapproval with which 
some of my friends regard it, I cannot account 
for this absence of prohibitory precept. This 
seems all the more strange when we remember 
that a covenantal ceremony had, by divine ap- 
pointment, been practiced upon the children of 
the church for ages ; and, that the Author of the 
Bible knew that in less than two centuries the 
practice would be universal in the church, and, 
unless forbidden, would continue to be practiced 
by the majority of the churches to the end of 
time. 

Now, there must be some propriety in infant 
baptism, or else it is a sin against God. Will 
v^e call it a sin ? Then we are brought into 
these dilemmas: A sin may resemble, in its 
essential character, an ancient, Heaven-ordained 
ceremony! That sin may be committed by 
thousands of the good, who are tempted to it by 
love to God and love to their oflspring ? And 
that sin, fearful as the mockery of a sacrament, 
was totally unforbidden by that God who fore- 
saw that the most of the Church would be guilty 
of it through all the coming ages ! To me, the 



136 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

comparative silence of the Bible is eloquent in 
proof that there can be no especial wrong in the 
practice any more than there can be saving effi- 
cacy connected therewith. This is reasonable. 
What harm can result to a child from an action 
so trivial in its externals, performed by others 
upon it? We are told it will debar them from 
choosing their own mode of baptism when they 
grow up. By no means. The churches holding 
the supposed views of said grown up child will 
be very glad to accommodate him to a baptism 
and church-home perfectly congenial to such 
views. Equally true to good reason that no great 
moral change of nature can be conditioned upon 
work performed entirely by another, and that 
other a finite being. To believe in the baptismal 
regeneration of infants, is to believe that the 
immortal destiny of one human soul is entirely 
contingent upon a few moments' work of another 
human soul. That a priest, with a pitcher of 
water, can transfer from eternal danger to eternal 
safety forty souls per hour, is an assumption too 
repugnant to reason to need refuting. 

Rejecting the views of extremists^ who, on one 
side, regard it sinful^ and on the other saving^ we 
classify it, in its importance, with the baptism 
of Jesus, to which, in other respects, there is 
resemblance. That word %ecometK'' expresses all 
we claim for it. It is proper. It is appropriate. 
It becometh us to consecrate them — to pledge 



INFANT BAPTISM. 137 

their lives to God. In the language of our dis- 
cipline, it '^is to be retained in the Church." 

The relations of children to the Kingdom of 
Heaven are so much like the relation sustained 
by Christ, that if his baptism was becoming, 
theirs is also. Both are of the Kingdom. The 
one is so by nature, the other by grace. The 
infant of a few days or years, and the Jesus of 
childhood ox manhood could have gone unbap- 
tized with water directly to Heaven finding 
there a welcome. Children, like Jesus, need no 
forgiveness. They never violated a law. If they 
remain unbaptized, they are not blamable there- 
for; and as to their inheritance of depravity, 
they are not to blame for it, and the lack of 
priestly ceremony shall not deprive them of 
their inheritance of grace. It is no more cer- 
tain that a child is an heir of human depravity 
than that he is also an heir of the grace of God. 
If a sad fate united him to the first Adam, a most 
blessed provision has united him to the second 
Adam. If in the first he inherits a curse, in 
the second he inherits blessings. 

In the baptism of Jesus we have proof that 
baptism is not always for regeneration. He was 
pure without it. It is not always for foregive- 
ness. He never needed pardon. It does not 
always rescue a soul from eternal peril. He was 
never in danger. The long delay of His baptism 
did not put Him in peril. This delay, which is 



138 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

the principal point of dissimilarity, may seem 
to some greatly out of harmony with the analo- 
gies we are claiming. But let us remember that 
His baptism was not delayed a day after he be- 
gan with authority to teach men. He began 
his public instructions by urging His servant 
John to baptize the very person who, of all the 
universe, w^as most certainly of the Kingdom ; 
and we expect the majority of His servants, 
until the end of time, will continue to baptize 
that class of our race, who are, most assuredly, 
of the Kingdom. 

Keeping in mind the analogies, many a dart 
aimed at infant baptism will strike the baptism 
of Jesus, and fall powerless at our feet. 

''Are you afraid your child will be lost if it is 
not baptizid?" Was Christ in danger? 

''Does a preacher with water save the child?" 
Did John save Jesus ? 

Although we reject the high-church theory, 
yet we claim for infant baptism some real ad- 
vantages — advantages resembling adult baptism. 
In both are given the emblem and assurance of 
blessings. These are as appropriate in behalf of 
a child as of a repenting or converted maa. The 
inspiration of a solemn vow or oath is valuable 
in both cases. The oath of the adult is an in- 
spiration to him to do right — to be all the Lord's; 
and the oath of the parent or sponsor, that their 
baptized child shall be the Lord's, is also a con- 



INFANT BAPTISM. 139 

stant inspiration, not to the child, it is true, but 
to the very one whose conduct, for some years, 
has mainly to do in shaping the character and 
destiny of the child. The formation of charac- 
ter, for several years, is far more the result of 
parental conduct toward the child than of the 
careless doings of the child; and hence the cov- 
enant of consecration, and the inspiration from 
it, rest wisely upon that parent through all those 
years. Nor shall the parent be released from 
that vow, even though the child has endorsed 
it, so long as that parent's efforts can bless that 
child. 

We are told that the child is unconscious. 
Yes, but he is not uninfluenced. Let us take an 
imaginary illustration for an example. Suppose 
the walls of a new church to be a peculiar spir- 
itual daguerrian plate, so constructed that they 
would be impressed by every word spoken or 
deed performed in their presence, and even by 
the thoughts of the congregation. Let them be 
so impressible that pure worship would beautify 
those walls, making them glorious as those of 
the Temple of God on high. Let every good 
word leave an impression richer than gold, and 
every good deed done adorn it with the perfec- 
tion of beauty, and high and holy thoughts 
radiate all the scene with Heavan's pure glory, 
while bad thoughts, and deeds, and words, would 
have blemished it with utter deformity and repul- 



140 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

siveness. Then, if that church, unconscious now 
as a sleeping babe, was soon to become a sensi- 
tive, responsible person, to be honored for its 
beauty or loathed for its repulsiveness, is it not 
possible that the right sort of a dedication ser- 
vice would do it some good ? Let the first audi- 
ence assemble, not merely to collect money, but 
with impressive ceremony to take upon their 
every heart and conscience a vow — a vow as 
sacred as if their eternal destiny depended on 
their keeping it — a vow ever in that church to 
think, and speak, and act, as in the immediate 
presence of the great I AM ! Is it not likely 
that such a dedication of such a church would 
doit some good? Is it not probable that the 
God to whom the church was dedicated would 
endorse the propriety, yea, the righteousness of 
such a dedication ? 

I need not point out the analogy between the 
dedication of such an imagined church and the 
baptism of an infant immortal. 

Many other arguments for the baptism of in- 
fants would be presented, were it not that the 
writer's constant aim has been to make these 
Notes, as far as possible, supplemental to the 
thoughts of others, instead of a reiteration of 
them. 

Having referred to the antiquity of the prac- 
tice, I ought to give some proof on that point. 



INFANT BAPTISM. 141 

Justin Martyr, born about the year the Apostle 
John died, says: "There are many among us of 
both sexes, some sixty, some seventy years old, 
who were made disciples of Christ in their child- 
hood." 

Again, Irenarus wrote about fifty years after 
the apostolic age. He says: "Christ came to save 
all persons who are baptized to God — infants, and 
little ones, and childreny 

"TertuUian lived about 100 years after the 
apostolic age. He declares it the common prac- 
tice in his day. 

"Origen declares that the church received an 
order from the apostles to baptize infants. He 
lived 185 years after the apostles. 

"In the year 153, after the apostolic age, a coun- 
cil of 66 bishops were assembled at Carthage, on 
a question then in debate, whether a child two 
days old might have baptism, or whether, as in 
case of circumcision, it should be delayed until 
the eighth day. They unanimously agreed to 
have them baptized as soon as convenient. Here 
is testimony beyond the possibility of a doubt, 
in the bosom of every rational man, that infant 
baptism was then universally practiced in the 
churches. 

"A host of other eminent men might be 
quoted, giving the most positive testimony to 
the truth that infant baptism was practiced in 
apostolic times ; but we come down to the day 



142 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

of Augustine, the greatest luminary of his age* 
He lived about 280 years after the apostles. He 
says, in the most express terms, that the whole 
church practiced infant baptism. Again, he 
speaks of baptizing infants by the authority of 
the whole church, which was undoubtedly de- 
livered by our Lord and his apostles. Again, 
Pelagius lived at the same time as Augustine 
(he was a heretic), and engaged in debate with 
Augustine. In the debate Augustine accused 
him of denying to children the right of baptism, 
but he hurled it back as a foul slander. Hear 
him : 'Men slander me as if I denied infant bap- 
tism. Why,' says he, ^I never heard of any — 
no, not the most impious heretic — who denied 
this right to the children.''* 

Similar quotations could be largely extended, 
and the question presses itself, Whence comes 
this practice unless from Christ and the apos- 
tles? It is claimed that the argument drawn 
from the custom of the early church is neutral- 
ized by the fact that they held with it the notion 
that in baptism the child was regenerated. 

An error as to the design of the ordinance 
could readily obtain, but an error as to whether 
it were practiced would be very difficult. The 
men who associated with the early disciples 
could not be mistaken as to their usage, but 
might be as to their motives. 

"Quoted from a Tract by Rev. A. B. Morrison. 



INFANT BAPTISM. 143 

Scores in a certain community asserted that 
the writer had his child baptized to get it ready 
for Heaven. It was very easy to be mistaken as 
to the design of that ceremony, but absolutely 
impossible as to the fact. Nor, in a careful in- 
vestigation, would an error in their notion of 
my design detract an iota from the reliability of 
their statement of my practice. So of the early 
church. We fully believe they knew the prac- 
tice of the apostles and fathers, and followed it, 
but very soon erred greatly as to the reasons for 
this practice. 



FINAL NOTE. 



Patient reader, a little random gleaning and 
our self-imposed task is done. 

We hope you have noticed much in this vol- 
ume harmonious with the ideas of divergent 
systems of thought. 

The high-churchman claims that the ordi- 
nances are alv^ays mediums of divine favor. 
They always should be closely allied to favors. 

The "Evangelicals'' regard them as a sign of 
favors. The visible substance is a sign, and, 
used aright, it is the sign of favors actually be- 
stowed on the one receiving it. 

The Baptists have always, by this ordinance, 
received persons into their church. This usage 
is very pertinent to our claim of the covenantal 
character of the ceremony. Nearly every society 
in the world initiate their candidates by obli- 
gating them to the duties of the society. 

With the views here unfolded, we can heartily 
endorse the genuine religious experience of the 
best men we have met in ^^The Christian Church^'' 
the church which reject a specific name, intensely 
determined to monopolize the one generic name 



FINAL NOTE. 145 



of all who love Jesus. We have met some who 
related to us about this experience. ''Years ago, 
I decided to be a follower of Christ. I knew I 
had sinned, and I expected forgiveness in the 
name of Jesus, and in the first act of duty. Be- 
lieving it my duty to be immersed, I yielded to 
the conviction. With trembling, I gave my 
hand to the minister, to be led into the water, 
and as he used the name of Jesus I dedicated 
myself fully to the service of Christ. Then I 
felt myself wedded to the world's Redeemer. 
Ever since then I have delighted to do all the 
duties he has required. Now, am I correct in 
thinking that I was converted at the time of my 
baptism ?" Yes, most assuredly, is my response. 
Saved, because they covenanted themselves to 
the Lord. And in kindly good-will I pray that 
such experiences may yet be as numerous as their 
membership. For I must insist (and ministers 
of that church have admitted the same, in con- 
versation with me,) that the one who seeks 
water baptism merely to get into the church, 
desiring membership therein for secular ends, 
with no design or effort to be a follower of Christ; 
such a person would never be any the better for 
his baptism, although performed by the most 
perfect mode and by the best minister on earth. 
Thev who covenanted are converted, but the 
rest, although immersed, are still unconverted. 



10— 



146 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

The almost unanimous protest of the religious 
world against re-baptism agrees well with these 
notes. As baptism is not only our promise to 
God, but God's promise to us, it seems irreverent 
to ask for it to be repeated. Once speaking by 
the Immutable is enough. But if on our part 
there has been unfaithfulness, then let there be 
on our part a renewal of our vows. 

The question may be raised as to the repeti- 
tion of the ceremony upon those unworthily 
baptized. Some, of mature years, may receive 
the ceremony, who, in their ignorance or care- 
lessness, do not dedicate themselves to God. 
Such are baptized ceremonially but not spirit- 
ually. In order to complete their baptism, they 
must take upon their heart the true covenant of 
the ordinance. 

In the last Note, we admitted that the 
baptized child had a personal spiritual work 
to do when he reached maturity, in order 
fully to claim the blessings of the covenant. If 
the grown-up child fails to do this work, then 
his relations to God, and to baptism, are about 
the same as those sustained by the carelessly 
baptized adult. Both have received the cere- 
mony, and need not take it again. Both are 
guilty if they neglect to take upon their con- 
science the true baptismal vow. But, through 
all the tender years of that child, his baptism 
was far superior to the carelessly baptized adult, 



FINAL NOTE. 147 



because his rightful substitute was then truly 
pledged in his behalf; while, in behalf of said 
adult, there was no pledge from man to God. 

If one acted the part of the hypocrite in re- 
ceiving the ceremony, the case is far worse ; 
worse in that his sin was so great ; but we would 
give the same advice : repent, and be in heart 
fully covenanted. 

We can illstrate our view of the condition and 
duty of those unworthily baptized, by referring 
to a marriage ceremony that might occur. Sup- 
pose the circumstances of the marriage we^e all 
right and proper, except the terrible fact that the 
man did not design to love, honor, care for, or 
in any way to keep his marriage vow. By and 
by he is alarmed at the awful guilt of his heart 
and life. Shall he be re-married to that com- 
panion ? Of course not. Although, strictly 
speaking, he has never, in the eye of God, been 
spiritually and truly her husband, but merely a 
wicked reveler; yet, the marriage ceremony need 
not be repeated. But he must repent that|his 
marriage was a vile mockery of God's holy ordi- 
nance; and then in heart most solemnly vow to 
love, and live as he should in this sacred rela- 
tion. Then, keeping his vow, he will meet the 
approval of his God. 

So we reason and advise concerning all who, in 
the ceremony of baptism, did not consecrate 
themselves to its holy duties. In the true spir- 



148 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

itual sense of the word, they are not baptized. 
They cannot claim a single blessing pronounced 
only upon the baptized. And they are more or 
less guilty, according to the brightness or dim- 
ness of the light that should have guided them 
to a true baptism. But the minister need not 
repeat the ceremony. Let all such repent of 
their past sins, and bind themselves heartily to 
all their future duties, and keep their bond till 
death. Thus God will approve. 

The material emblem for baptism has been 
kindly and wisely chosen. It is found wherever 
men can dwell. It is the gift of God, free as the 
air we breathe, pure as robes of light, beautiful 
as Heaven. It indicates satisfaction. It is an 
emblem of salvation here and hereafter. Its use 
in the baptismal service should make our earthly 
home appear more like Heaven ; and whenever 
and wherever we see it, in the rain or in the 
river, in the dew-drop or in the ocean, God would 
have us each to feel I am consecrated — "I am 
the Lord's and He is mine." 

Firmly believing that the mode is not decided 
by divine authority, I would like to baptize in 
the way most likely to leave a deep and holy 
impression upon the mind and heart of the sub- 
ject. Sometimes immersion might do this. If 
I was sure that thus they would most heartily 
consecrate themselves, and that henceforth they 
would not rest one particle of hope on the fact 



FINAL NOTE. 149 



of this immersion, but rest it all the more on 
Jesus, then, thus I would be glad to baptize. 

But we cannot get rid of the conviction that, 
in all that pertains to our religion, God designs 
great simplicity in that which is material and 
visible, reserving for the spiritual part all that 
is great and imposing. 

Of the Lord's supper: How simple the em- 
blems. A crumb of bread. A taste of wine. 
How sublime the spiritual facts they betoken. 
A dying Jesus. A rising Jesus. A world's Re- 
deemer. To '^show forth his death," why was 
there not instituted a yearly celebration of grand 
and lofty seeming ? Why did not the Savior 
allow us to form an image of rare beauty, and 
raise it upon a literal cross, and gather around 
it lovingly, adoringly ? The reason is obvious. 
Such pretentious ceremonies are at w^ar with 
the very genius of a religion, which would leave 
in the back-ground the material and the earthly, 
and bring forward a spirituality to be the '^all 
and in all." 

The all-wise God knows, and every careful 
observer has learned, that in proportion to the 
"prominence or grandeur of the material or visible part 
of a religious ceremony^ is the tendency and danger of 
confiding wholly in that materiality, 

I am almost disposed to put the above italics into 
bold capitals. I want them re-read by every one 
who loves a great parade in religious ceremony. 



150 NOTES ON BAPTISM. 

Some may ask if this does not argue against 
ordinances altogether; and if the reasoning be 
valid, why were they instituted? I believe they 
would not have been instituted were it not for 
their great value in establishing the authenticity 
of our religion ; and also for the fact that, if 
these ordinances are administered with their 
Heaven-designed simplicity, they will lead us 
to spirituality, and not divert us from it. 

I greatly admire this wonderful simplicity in 
the outer forms of our spiritual religion. 

It is not the material emblems of our holy 
communion that thrill and bless the faithful 
who kneel at our altars. The bread and wine 
are nothing compared to the riches of grace and 
love they call to mind. 

A few drops of water ! How small they seem ! 
Despise them not. They will never turn the eye 
away from Jesus. And, small as they are, yet, 
as they fall upon the brow ^'in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," 
they may have a typical meaning sublimely 
grand as the thrones and riches and pleasures of 
the realms of eternal light. They should mean 
that here is an immortal soul bound by the 
strongest oath that man can take, to be now, 
henceforth and forever the Lord's, bound so 
firmly that nothing on earth shall loose it — that 
no duty or trial shall ever dishearten it ; no re- 



FINAL NOTE. 151 



proacb or scorn ever shame it ; nor prison dun- 
geons or martyr's flames alarm it. 

Then shall they also mean that the richest 
blessings of the Trinity, for time and eternity, 
are, by the oath of the immutable God, pledged 
to that immortal soul. 



THE END. 



CONTENTS AND INDEX. 

» - 

PAGE. 

Preface 3 

Introduction :— 

Problem stated 5 

Three Bible characters 7 

Define accordingly 9 

Spirituality arg-ued from tense 10 

Spirituality from Holy Ghost baptism 11 

Dr. Whedon Cited 11 

Baptizein criticised. 13 

Theodosia criticised 15 

Mode not important 16 

A Seal 16 

A Sign and more 17 

Matthew : — 

John's baptism 18 

Baptism of Jesus 21 

Keys of the Kingdom, 26 

Zebedee children — More about the baptism of Jesus — 

Bible Union criticised — Spirituality proven 28 

Jesus in the Temple 35 

Final commission 37 

Mark :— 

John's baptism , 39 

Hand-washing, etc 41 

Faith and baptism compared as to their importance ... 43 



II CONTENTS AND INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Luke : — 
The words of Jesus, "I have a baptism," used for per- 
sonal inspiration 50 

John:— 

"Baptize with water" 54 

Conversation with Nicodemus — Rebuke to all who 
want the body bom again — If baptism, an intense 

spirituality , 56 

Is baptism a mode or a sign? 59 

"Purifying" suggests baptism 61 

Acts:— 

Water and Holy Ghost baptism compared 65 

For the remission of sins 70 

Three thousand baptized 71 

Philip and the Eunuch — A protest against any cer- 
tainty of mode 74 

Why is the mode unknown? 76 

Saul baptized 77 

Gentiles baptized after conversion 81 

A river side 84 

In the prison 85 

Baptism of John's disciples 88 

Paul tells of his baptism 90 

Romans to Revelations : — 

Buried by baptism 93 

Form of doctrine 98 

Baptized in the name of Paul 100 

Covenanted to Moses — ^A dry baptism 102 

Baptized for the dead 105 

Baptized into Christ 107 

One baptism 108 

Buried — Circumcised 109 

Doctrine of baptisms 113 



CONTENTS AND INDEX. Ill 

PAGE. 

Romans to Revelations — Continued : 

Divers washings 112 

Bodies washed 113 

Salvation in the Ark proves salvation in covenant-keep- 
ing 114 

Water and blood 118 

Vesture dipped in blood 122 

Baptism of jesus: — 

Restatement of views 124 

Sign of any blessing 124 

Dr. Hibbard's view rejected 125 

Priestly washing indicated defilement 127 

The * 'temple" conduct proves higher authority than 

priestly 127 

Our views vital to this volume 130 

Jesus' baptism and infant baptism compared 130 

Baptism not always for remission .131 

Infant Baptism: — 

Parent pledges — The child must pledge 133 

Not saving or sinful 134 

It is becoming 136 

Compared to Christ's baptism 137 

Compared to adult baptism 138 

"Unconscious" — This objection suggests an argument. 139 
Early usages known — ^Motives misunderstood 143 

Final Note: — 

Some harmonies 144 

Against re-baptism 146 

Carelessly baptized adults and those baptized in in- 
fancy 146 

The beauty of the emblem 148 

Simplicity desirable 148 

Spirituality, all and in all 150 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Sept. 2005 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

111 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



